"cihango" Mask, Tchokwe People, Drc

A "Cihongo" type mask representing a male ancestral spirit. It symbolizes wealth and power and is believed to bring prosperity and peace to the village. It is the male equivalent of the female "Pwo" mask.
This mask displays a fine, regular design. The domed forehead, adorned with scarifications of circles forming a cross, extends into a nasal bridge highlighted by a chiseled line. Large, almond-shaped eyes, enhanced with white pigment, define the gaze. The slightly open mouth sits above a chin ending in a flattened area symbolizing a beard. Scarifications forming circles are found at the corners of the lips, as well as two descending lines beneath the eyes.
The sculptor has rhythmically structured the creation with a vertical line emphasized by the nasal bridge, the philtrum, the prominent angle of the mouth, and the angle of the chin.
Chokwe people, Kasai Central province, DRC.
Wood with a patina from use (cracks), pigments.
Height: 22 cm
Early 20th century
Provenance: -ex Belgian private collection
- collected in situ by Dr. Estievenart in the former Belgian Congo, around 1928.
Sold with its base