CHOKWE, MASK, Angola © John Urban
Masks representing ideal young female beauty, Mwana Pwo, are among the most elegant and delicately carved in Africa. Their serene expression commands respect and help support the authority of Chokwe rulers. Most share the depiction of facial scarification patterns, filed teeth, fanciful and inventive hairstyles, tear motifs and cruciform markings on the forehead, creating distinctive Chokwe heads.
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