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Bella P.4

Essay #20 – “Female (Pwo) Mask” and “Portrait mask (Mblo)”

These masks constituted a very ancient past bringing us back to the 20th century

C.E.. Each mask had many significant symbols and functions that allowed for it to

represent something special to its people of that time. These masks both differentiate for

many reasons, and too start; they are made for and stand to represent a different culture of

people. The “Female (Pwo) Mask” belonging to the Chokwe people, signifies a certain

ideology that praises the women of Chokwe who had given birth to two performers.

Rituals would be preformed and dances would be put together to give the tribe and

community a sense of fertility and prosperity. This mask was also used when facing male

initiations, thus teaching the young boys of Chokwe to behave and show the correct

respectfulness to give to women. This mask is used in the dancing to open the eyes of

young boys to what characteristics they should be looking for in their wife. This mask as

well shows the beauty of woman and their fertility. This mask consists of many tattoos on

the forehead and cheeks, and the hairstyle on the mask represents a common Chokwe

women’s hairstyle called coat. This mask represents Pwo Mwana, who is the younger and

more idealized founding mother of Chokwe. Some of the meanings of the tattoos are

found on the left cheek, cingelyengelye, which is a necklace in the form of a cross, cut

from tin plate and worn by the Chokwe as an amulet. On the forehead you can find a

mitelumuna, which are knitted eyebrows that create a dense allusion to arrogance.

Themes of Spirituality, Femininity, Beauty, and the coming of age are seen throughout

the aspects of the mask as well.

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The next mask, the “Portrait mask (Mblo)”, creates such significance to the Baule

people/culture. It is indeed a portrait mask made out of wood, and it is pigmented as well.

This mask has an oblong face shape and is black in color with multiple triangular brown

markings all over. By the lips, eyes, and the nose, it is noticeable to see the bits of orange

and red paint that surface. There are ribbons going down from the side across the jawline

and chin that are in close proximity to the curvature of the markings near the hairline in

representation to the hair. Like the mask spoken about above, this one also has triangles,

centered with circles punched in on the sides with 6 pieces coming off of tops of them.

This mask was created during a Part of a masquerade called a gbagba in the village of

Kami in the early 1900s. The masks are kept away and hidden until someone wears it and

it is seen throughout the whole village, it is intended to keep out of use and it simply

appreciated for it’s physical appearance. It is said to help with the communication and

contact to the ancestors. More specifically speaking, this mask is an explicit portrait of

Moya Yanso, whom was a women that was most known for her beauty and ability to

move her body. With this being said, the mask consists of a big forehead and small mouth

that alludes to her intelligence, a sense of complexity through the different heights of her

eyes, and a form of age seen at the sides of her mouth in the folds and wrinkles. The

themes that are most prevalent inside of this mask are: performance, identity, power, and

authority.
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