Chokwe, also spelled Ciokwe, or Cokwe, also called Bajokwe, or Badjok, Bantu-speaking people who inhabit the southern part of Congo (Kinshasa) from the Kwango River to the Lualaba; northeastern Angola; and, since 1920, the northwestern corner of Zambia.
What does the name Chokwe mean?
Definition of Chokwe
1a : a scattered people of northeastern Angola and adjacent parts of Democratic Republic of the Congo noted for the religious masks that they produce. b : a member of such people. 2 : a Bantu language of the Chokwe people closely related to or perhaps a dialect of Lwena.
What does the Chokwe mask represent?
Found amongst the Chokwe of Angola, these masculine masks (Chihongo, meaning ‘spirit of wealth’) are used to symbolize wealth and power. The masqueraders wearing the mask pay homage to male ancestors believed to be responsible for the prosperity and strength of the community.
What did the Chokwe trade?
Pipe: Rifle 19th–20th century
During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, Chokwe chiefs became increasingly involved in trade with Europeans who sought rubber, wax, and ivory as well as African slaves for their colonies in the New World.
What are Chokwe masks made of?
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.
Who was the founder of the Lunda empire?
Its founder, known by the title of Mwata Yamvo (ruler), was a Luba nobleman who married a Lunda princess. The Lunda state expanded westward in the middle of the 18th century and imposed its rule on peoples living near the Kwango River.
How do you greet a Chokwe?
KUCHI is one of the most common words you will hear spoken throughout the Chokwe world. This is the simplest greeting, and is often the first word learned by those who have an interest in the language.
How do you pronounce Chokwe Lumumba?
Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in 1968, he was so distraught that he changed his name to Chokwe Lumumba (pronounced SHOW-kway Luh-MOOM-buh).
Who was Chibinda Ilunga?
This imposing figure represents the hero Chibinda Ilunga, a royal ancestor of the Tchokwe people. According to legend, Ilunga, the son of a great Luba chief, wooed Lweji, a Lunda chieftain. He introduced into that tribe the concept of divine kingship and also taught the Lunda the art of hunting.
Who created the female PWO mask?
Female (pwo) mask (Chokwe peoples) . Created by Beth Harris and Steven Zucker.
What do African mask represent?
In rituals, African masks represent deities, mythological beasts and gods; metaphors for good and evil, the dead, animals, nature and any other force that is considered more powerful than man himself.
What are three types of masks created in Africa?
Common types of African masks include face masks, which fit over the front of the wearer’s face; helmet masks, which fit over the entire head; and forehead masks, which work like hats that sit horizontally on top of the head with the wearer’s face covered by fabric.
Where is the female PWO mask located?
Female (pwo) mask, Chokwe peoples, Democratic Republic of Congo, early 20th century, wood, plant fiber, pigment, copper alloy, 39.1 cm high (Smithsonian National Museum of African Art, Washington D.C.)
What is a portrait mask?
Portrait masks characteristically have an oval face with an elongated nose, small, open mouth, downcast slit eyes with projecting pieces that extend beyond the crest to suggest animal horns. Most also have scarification patterns at the temple and a high gloss patina.
What do the features on a Bundu mask embody?
She embodies the values and characteristics of an ideal woman of the Mende people. … When the Sande society educates its female youth about their history, traditions, and methods for household management, the masks are worn for dances to let the spirit enter their body to mark their transition to woman hood.
Where did the Lunda people come from?
The Lunda (Balunda, Luunda, Ruund) are a Bantu ethnic group that originated in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo along the Kalanyi River and formed the Kingdom of Lunda in the 17th century under their ruler, Mwata Yamvo or Mwaant Yav, with their capital at Musumba.
Who is the chief of the Lunda?
Paramount Chief Mwata Kazembe of the Lunda, Luapula Province, Zambia | Traditional african clothing, Festival captain hat, African clothing.
Where did the Lunda Kingdom originate from?
Early history | pre–1876 |
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First Congo War | 1996–1997 |
Second Congo War | 1998–2003 |
Transitional Government | 2003–2006 |
Where is Chokwe spoken?
Chokwe | |
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Native speakers | (980,000 cited 1990–1991) |
What is Ilunga?
‘Ilunga’ means a person who is ready to forgive any abuse for the first time, to tolerate it a second time, but never a third time.
Who succeeded the first Lunda chief after his death?
At his death his son Mwata Mutomb succeeds him and becomes the first Mwata Yamvo and extends the Empire further. During his reign, Mwata Mutomb’s authority is disputed by the Lunda who consider him and his family as foreigners.
What are the effects of Luba Lunda migration?
The Luba – lunda migration had economic, political and social effects upon central Africa. The luba-lunda migrations led to the establishment of hierarchical and centralized kingdoms in central Africa. Normally the powers of such kingdoms were vested in a chief or king with the help of the subject chiefs.
Why is the PWO mask eyes closed?
Her eyes are closed to a narrow opening. The tears that fall from the eyes of the mask symbolize the pain of death that occurs throughout a human’s life.
Why are the eyes and mouth closed on the PWO mask?
The mask conveys introspection and wisdom because the eyes and mouth are closed meaning the female is looking inward, thinking and reflecting. The woman that the mask represents is constructed this way because the women that it celebrates have already obtained wisdom and have no need to look outward for it.
Who wears the elephant mask?
The elite Kuosi masking society controls the right to own and wear elephant masks, and the society assists the fon, or king, as preserver and enforcer of the sociopolitical hierarchy.
Do African masks have spirits?
African masks provide a tangible form for invisible spirits, which are personified as human beings, animals, or fantastic composites of both. Spirits—deities, ancestors, and nature spirits (those that inhabit streams, rivers, rocks, and other natural forms)—get involved in the affairs of people, by invitation or not.
What story can a mask tell?
Masks are used in social ceremonies (weddings, funerals, etc.), seasonal celebrations, and religious events. They are used to tell stories, impart wisdom, and ask for spirit blessings and protections.
How do I identify an African mask?
Check the back of the mask for wear, including the holes for fastening the mask on the face. The wearer does a lot of moving in his dances, and contact between body and wood can leave sweat and oil stains. 2. Look for wear from forehead, cheeks, chins and noses.
Who made African masks?
Eric Herold estimates these images to have been created by nomadic herdsmen possibly between 3500 and 1500 B.C. (World 9). However, some scholars believe, as Segy has reported, that masks of animal heads were used by Paleolithic man at least 35,000 years ago (Black 44).
What does wearing a mask represent?
Masks usually represent supernatural beings, ancestors, and fanciful or imagined figures, and they can also be portraits. The localization of a particular spirit in a specific mask must be considered a highly significant reason for its existence.
What cultures wear masks?
They were also widely used among Oceanic peoples of the South Pacific and among American Indians. Masks have served an important role as a means of discipline and have been used to admonish. Common in China, Africa, Oceania, and North America, admonitory masks usually completely cover the features of the wearer.
Who wore the Bundu mask?
Bundu / Sowei Helmet Mask (Mende peoples)