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African Chewa mask Chewa people, Malawi, Africa 11.5 inches, painted wood, animal fur, cloth The Chewa, part of the Maravi peoples, use their masks for Nyau Society performances at initiations, funerals, and other important events. The Nyau characters consists of over 100 different masks, and is constantly changing, since it often incorporates modern themes into its long tradition. The characters often involve reverse role-playing and the masks can be humorous in nature. Because the society is secret, it was banned by the British. This, combined with the Chewa preference for colors and designs that don’t appeal to Westerners, explains why you so seldom see them for sale. Chewa performances
often involve reverse role-playing and the masks can be humorous and/or
very ugly. Heavy and crude, this one could be a big European with a slick
head of hair.
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