Cihongo dance mask symbolising the spirit of wealth. Kasai (Congo-Zaire). Musee Royal de L'Afrique Centrale. Dimensions: 22.5x14 cm.
Chokwe (Cokwe, Jokwe, Quicos, Badjok)
The Chokwe is a Bantu
- speaking widespread ethnic group living in central Africa (Congo -
Zaire, Angola and Zambia). They speak a Bantu
language which belongs to the Chokwe-Lunda group. They are one of the
main population groups in eastern Angola.
The farmers and hunters who established this great art were organised into
chefferies about four hundred years ago by Lunda nobles. They were known
to the Portuguese traders and explorers already at the end of the eighteenth century.
Art styles of the Chokwe, Lwena, Mbundu
and Songo are similar to the large extend, which at the end
affected attribution of a great number of pieces to the Chokwe. The art
of Chokwe has displayed the most inventiveness and originality in
their magnificent creations, their style inspired all the art of this region.
Back to ethnic groups page
Sculpture of
ancestral hero, Tshibinda Ilunga, Luba prince and father of first Mwata Yamvo. Hard wood,
brown, lightly covered with red clay. Museu do Instituto de Anthropologia, Porto. Height:
39 cm.
