MASQUE, LWENA / CHOKWE, ANGOLA |

Masque, Lwena / Chokwe, Angola

Collection Eduardo Uhart, Santiago / Paris
Collection privée, France

Arts d'Afrique noire, n° 103, Automne 1997, couverture

Very good condition overall. Wear consistent with age and use within the culture. The headdress is exceptionally well preserved.
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Chez les Chokwe et les Lwena - peuples étroitement apparentés - les masques mwana phwevo incarnent un personnage mythologique à la beauté remarquable. Paré d’une abondante coiffe de fibres tressées, ce masque se distingue par l’eurythmie de ses lignes et la grande douceur de son modelé, magnifiée par les nuances de la patine profonde. La finesse des traits et des scarifications traditionnelles délicatement incisées s’accorde aux canons de la beauté féminine en pays Chokwe. La symétrie du visage, soulignée par le tatouage médian Kangongo s’étirant du menton jusqu’à la naissance de la coiffe, met en valeur l’expression du modèle, empreinte d’une grande sérénité. Prenant pour inspiration les plus belles femmes de la communauté, les masques mwana phwevo sont le fruit d’un long travail d’observation, au terme duquel l’artiste offre l’image d’une beauté à valeur exemplaire. Dansés par des hommes, ils intervenaient dans des chorégraphies de séduction au travers desquelles les femmes apprenaient « la grâce des manières », et qui donnaient à voir la complexité des rapports amoureux (Bastin, La sculpture Tschokwe, 1982, p. 90-91).

For the Chokwe and the Lwena - who are closely related peoples - the mwana phwevo masks embody a mythological character of remarkable beauty. Adorned with an abundant coiffure made from braided fibers, this mask stands out for the eurythmy of its lines and the great softness of its modeling, magnified by the nuances of the deep patina. The exquisite subtlety of the delicately engraved facial features and traditional scarification fit with the canons of feminine beauty in Chokwe country. The symmetry of the face, highlighted by the Kangongo tattoo adorning its median line, stretching from the chin to the base of the coiffure, highlights the expression of the figure, imbued with great serenity.

Inspired by the most beautiful women in the community, mwana phwevo masks are the result of a long observation process, culminating in the artist’s rendering of an image of beauty of exemplary value. Danced by men, they came out in seduction choreographies where women learned "the grace of manners", and where all could find an image of the complexity of romantic relationships (Bastin, La sculpture Tschokwe, 1982, p. 90-91).