Beschreibung:

mwana pwo Wood, pigments height 8 5/8in (22cm) Provenance Charles Ratton, Paris Lionel Adenis, Paris J.M. Ferrater Collection, Barcelona Antonio Onrubia Collection, Barcelona Published Onrubia, Antonio, La Diversidad de las Formas , Editorial Gustavo Gili, S.L., Barcelona, 2016, fig. 215 Marie-Louise Bastin notes that "the feminine mask mwana pwo and its male counterpart, chihongo , are noble masks, worn together by men in dances which magically bring fertility and prosperity to the village. The male mask represents the spirit of power and wealth, while the female recalls the ancestress. The pwo performer is dressed like a woman, and he dances elegantly and gracefully, showing the women of the village the value of graciousness and good manners." ( Introduction aux arts d'Afrique Noire , University of Brussels Press, 1984, pp. 212-14). The elegance and grace that the dancer would have expressed in his dance are in harmony with the delicate features and proportions we find in this mask, including the finely incised raised scarification dividing the coiffure from the slightly rounded forehead; the delicately curved eyebrows reflecting the raised cheekbones below; glossy light and dark-brown patina.