Chokwe are an ethnic group of Central and Southern Africa, primarily in Angola, Congo and Zambia. They are regionally famous for their exceptional crafts work, particularly with baskets, pottery, mask carving, statues, stools and other handicrafts. The works of art include utilitarian objects, integrating Chokwe mythologies, oral history and spiritual beliefs. The traditional religious beliefs of the Chokwe center around worshiping ancestor spirits.
This mask is of Chikwekwe, an ancestral spirit bird. Such mask are used within Chokwe rituals/ceremonies to initiate and educate tribal/community members on various topics ranging from moral values, cosmology, religion and more.
Chikwekwe has extraordinary powers and is perceived as a creature of the night. . . a time when disturbing things come to life.
From a private collector in the USA who claims it was from the late 1970s. In good condition with age cracks, some dents and miscellaneous chips.
Stand not included.