240115 - Rare African Mukunda helmet dance mask from the Chokwe - Angola.
Extremly Rare old African Makunda helmet dance mask from the Chokwe, Angola.
Makunda Mask for the Makishi Dance,
This mask is from the mid of the 20th century and purchased in my private collection in 2019, with a certificate of authenticity.
Height: 52 cm and 35 cm wide.
Masks were used during Munkanda initiation rituals for young boys and the Uyanga society, the men's hunting society that instructed young boys in hunting and also put men through a series of endurance tests. Other men's questions societies appeared at funerals.
Chokwe dances also include the means of publicly displaying appropriate behavior and proper social conduct. During one version of a Munkada dance, a masked figure known as Pwo, a Chokwe ancestor, represents a mature woman, mature and beautiful who is dignified and spiritual and reflects all the positive qualities of an ideal woman who can serve as a Chokwe role model serve.