Chokwe Ceremonial Mask with Feather Crown, Based

The face stays composed. The feathers, behind it, have other plans.

This ceremonial mask with a feather crown is Chokwe, from Angola, Central Africa, early to mid 20th century, made of wood, feather, hemp and raffia and set on a base. Among the Chokwe, masked dancers appear at initiations and other community occasions, where carved faces like this one embody ideals of beauty and the presence of ancestors. Smooth lidded eyes, a narrow nose and a band of filed teeth sit above a round disc at the chin. A cap of braided fiber holds a wide hoop of teal and golden feathers behind the head. Sixteen inches wide and 23 high.

Nobody has ever entered quietly wearing this.