African Mask

Ethnicity : Lwena

REF: LWA02

Importation: Angola - RDC

Size H36cm L25cm

 Weight: 1150gr

Characteristics of Lwena :

This primarily Angolan tribe lives partially in DRC and in Zambia. Led by a king, the Mwana Yamvo, the Lwena people support themselves from fishing in the wet plains at the source of the Zambeze River, in Angola. The structure of Lwena art is largely based on that of the Chokwe, but includes a more refined use of full, round shapes, and differ also by the coiffures and scarifications on the cheeks and forehead. Artistically, the Lwena appear to have focused their skills on carving female figures, which are also found on decorative ‘prestige’ objects such as canes, combs and finger pianos, and on masks. These differ from those of the Chokwe as their statues usually display a spherical cross-hatched coiffure which is often divided by a vertical ridge, and angular linear scarifications on their cheeks. All in all, it is a very female art related to a tribal social structure in which women play important roles, including that of chief.