One million Chokwe
(at least 30 different spellings -- all based upon the name these people call
themselves, Kocokwe, in plural Tucokwe) have spread out over a wide area in the
eastern Angola, southern DRC and Zambia. Their history dated back to the 15th century,
when a Lunda queen married a Luba prince Chibinda Ilunga. A significant member
of the Lunda aristocracy so disapproved of the marriage that they migrated
south to present-day Angola. Once settled, they founded several kingdoms, each
headed by a god-king. Around 1860, following a major famine, the Chokwe people
migrated back and settled in Angola, at the source of the Kwangi, Kasai and
Lungwe rivers. The Chokwe are governed by a king called Mwana Ngana, who
distributes hunting and cultivation areas. The male Mugonge and female Ukule
societies regulate their social life. They are vigorous and courageous hunters
and agriculturists, who used formerly to engage in the slave trade. Their
dynamic spirit is also reflected in their art.
Chokwe sculptors
were the most famous of the region; there were two types. The songi made jinga
charms, the small mahamba figures for the family shrines, and all objects used
for hunting, love, magic, and fertility. In addition to the folk art, somewhat rigid
and giving no illusion of depth, there existed also the ancient refined culture
of the court, expressed with conviction by professional artiststhefuli. They
were hired by the great chieftainries and worked exclusively for the court.
They sculpted scepters, thrones with figurines, fans, tobacco boxes, pipes,
flyswats, cups, and figures of chiefs or ancestors – all demonstrating a great
deal of refinement. They were famous for their large statues of deified
ancestors, exalting strength and dignity. The best-known representation of a
chief is of Chibinda Ilunga. He was a wandering hunter, youngest son of the
great Luba chief Kalala Ilunga. He got married a Lunda queen Lueji. Chibinda
Ilunga was the start of the sacred dynasty of the Mwata Yamvo of the Lunda and
became the model of the hunting and civilizing hero, sometimes represented
seated on a throne, sometimes as standing naked or dressed as a hunter. As
statues of him were sculpted after the introduction of firearms, generally the
standing figure is holding a stone rifle in his left hand and a stick, called
cisokolu, in his right. Chibinda Ilunga’s body is stocky, with legs bent,
shoulder blades clearly drawn, the neck wide and powerful, the navel
protruding. He wears an enormous hairdo, the sign of princely rank. The social
organization, founded upon matrilineal lineages, has an equally large number of
female statues, whether these be identified as the queen mother or a chief’s
wife.
The most powerful
and important Chokwe mask is known as chikunga. Highly charged with power and
considered sacred, chikunga is used during investiture ceremonies of a chief
and sacrifices to the ancestors. These masks are made of barkcloth stretched
over an armature of wickerwork, covered over with black resin and painted with
red and white designs. Chikunga is worn only by the current chief of a group.
The mukanda masks play a role in male initiation. The mukanda is an initiatory
institution through which religion, art, and social organization are
transmitted from one generation to the next. Mukanda training lasts from one to
two years. Boys between the ages of about eight and twelve are secluded in a
camp in the wilderness, away from the village. There they are circumcised and
spend several months in a special lodge where they are instructed in their
anticipated roles as men. As part of their instruction, the boys are taught the
history and traditions of the group and the secrets associated with the wearing
and making of masks. Mukanda masks are also made of barkcloth over an armature
of wicker. They are covered with a layer of black resin, which can be modeled
before it is ornamented with pieces of colored cloth.
While in former
times they probably played important roles in religious beliefs and
institutional practices, many other Chokwe masks have come to be used primarily
for entertainment. Itinerant actors wearing these masks travel from village to
village, living on gifts received at performances. Most masks are carved of
wood. The most popular and best-known entertainment masks are chihongo, spirit
of wealth, and pwo, his consort. Gaunt features, sunken cheeks, and jutting
beard of an elder characterize a chihongo mask. Chihongo was formerly worn only
by a chief or by one of his sons as they traveled through their realm exacting
tribute in exchange for the protection that the spirit masks gave. While
chihongo brings prosperity, his female counterpart, pwo, is an archetype of
womanhood, an ancestral female personage who encourages fertility. As an
ancestor, she is envisioned as an elderly woman. The eyes closed to narrow
slits evoke those of a deceased person. The facial decoration on the surface
are considered female. Recently pwo has become known as mwana pwo, a young
woman. It represents young women who undergone initiation and are ready for
marriage.
During the 17th
century many Chokwe chiefs were introduced to chairs imported by Portuguese
officials and adopted the foreign style for their thrones. However, Chokwe
style and decoration were saved. The figures on the back, stretchers, and legs
were typical Chokwe carving.
The Chokwe have
influenced the art of many neighboring peoples, including the Lunda, Mbunda,
Luvale, and Mbangani.