The Makonde are an ethnic group in southeast Tanzania and northern Mozambique, they presently live throughout Tanzania and Mozambique and have a small presence in Kenya. The Makonde are almost the only ethnicity in East Africa to create fairly naturalistic sculptures, primarily maternity figures, which are intended to ensure the fertility of the fields and women. The Makonde are well known for their ancestress culture. This female body mask was part of the costume of a special Ndimu masker called Amwalindembo representing a young pregnant woman. The mask was worn by a man and his performances emphasized the difficulty of childbirth. This is a carved wooden female body mask depicting a torso with breasts, a pregnant woman. It is carved out of light wood with visible black marks, has a brown patina and shows signs of wear at the edges due to old age but has no damage.
- Material: Wood
- Condition: Good
- Age:approx 50-60yrs
- Origin: Tanzania
- SKU: LMSK-062
- Weight: 1.2 kg
- Dimensions: 26.5 x 50.8 x 13.5 cm