Chokwe Pwo Mask
The pwo is the carved female mask of the Chokwe of Angola and neighbouring lands, with a finely finished face, gently closed eyes, and filed or scarified markings on the forehead and cheeks. Danced at the mukanda initiations that turn boys into men and at celebrations of the community, the mask embodies the idealised ancestress, Mwana Pwo, the Young Woman, whose beauty and calm set the standard of Chokwe womanhood. The dancer who wears it takes on the gentle, swaying movements of a woman, while a headdress of fibre and feathers completes the costume. Pwo masks come in pairs with the male cihon