code: 2018-PP
an authentic old, wooden African miniature mask of the
Chokwe People
- Tshokwe - Kichokwe -
a People now living in Angola, Zambia and DR Congo,
this mask is known as a
Passport Mask
and is the small equivalent of their female Pwo and Mwana Pwo masks
Small enough to fit in the palm of one's hand, Passport Masks were never made to be worn and openly displayed. Instead, they were kept out of sight, sometimes sewn onto a piece of cloth and carried around the neck or arm as a personal amulet. Despite their size these miniature masks were considered to hold as much power as their larger counterparts. For example, when leaving the village to hunt or travel, one would carry passport masks as protective charms.
The passport mask was also significant in some West African tribes as a witness to the initiation of adolescent boys into secret societies. Once initiated, the passport mask functioned as proof of one's position within it, which was useful when traveling to other villages. In time, passport masks became a form of tribal identification, each culture with their own distinct styles.
Inscribed motifs on the mask's forehead - the cross motif Chinge-Lyengelye, and cheeks are classic graphic designs that aesthetically enhanced a woman's beauty in past generations and were signs of ethnic identity. The central cruciform on the forehead has been interpreted as a cosmogram while the markings on either cheek are described as a solar disc joined by tears - Masoji
The face is carved with half closed, almond shaped eyes, a slender nose, a defined and partially open mouth filled with teeth, a triple plaited coiffure, C-shaped ears, irregular hand drilled attachment holes perforated at the back rim of the mask
age: unknown, but we do believe it to be early 20th Century
condition: beautiful, with an authentic warm, shiny and smooth patine, also at the back
height (excl. metal and wooden stand): circa 14 cm. / ca. 5.5 inch
weight (excl. stand) : 183 gram (incl. metal and wooden stand: 540 gr.)
we would like to underline the fact that we are not connoisseurs or experts on the subject of tribal art, we have done some research, trying to attribute the item to a land, country, tribe or people, to the best we could, before bidding or buying do judge for yourself on tribal affilation and the correct age, we will not accept returns if the buyer finds that we are wrong concerning these matters.
free world wide shipping
- this means that the shipping costs are included with the sale price
- you wil be ordering registrated shipment provided by PostNL from The Netherlands, EU
- this will be according to the PostNL conditions and destinations
- the shipping will be, if possible, with priority, tracking and insurance offered by the shipping provider for loss during shipment
- shipping out of the EU will be under Incoterm DAP and HS-code 9705.31
we are: delta 98 den haag
The Hague, The Netherlands, EU
registrated at: Chambers of Commerce in The Netherlands / KvK Haaglanden: file 27133335