ClassificationsAfrican Art
Nyau Society Mask
Place CreatedMalawi, Africa
CultureChewa
Datemid 20th Century
Credit LineGift of Sally and Joe Gladden in honor of Charles S. Ackerman, 2015 Woolford B. Baker Service Award recipient
Dimensions33 x 19 x 13 in. (83.8 x 48.3 x 33 cm)
Object number2015.020.001
Label TextA Chewa boy in Malawi must undergo a three-day initiation in order to achieve full status as an adult. This rite concludes with a masquerade called Gule Wamkulu, organized and performed by the semi-secret Nyau Society into which he has been inducted. There is evidence suggesting that the Nyau initiation ceremony, which takes place after the July harvest, dates to the 17th century and Gule Wamkulu is protected as a UNESCO masterpiece of intangible heritage. Masks, such as this one, may be commissioned from a recognized carver by a friend or relative, or by the initiate himself. Nyau masks can represent spirits of the deceased, wild and unruly spirits, animals, or even caricatures of personalities from the community. The mischievous characters interact with and perform for the audience to teach moral lessons and enforce social norms. This extraordinary example is carved from a dense, oily hardwood and sparingly decorated with red European paint. Its commanding presence is marked by a strong brow, varying textures and materials in the beard, and a rather wild full head of hair.Exhibition HistoryMCCM Permanent Collection Installation, August 6, 2016 - October 17, 2020
ProvenanceEx private collection, United States, assembled while employed by Malawian president Hastings Banda, 1970s. Purchased by MCCM from Amyas Naegele Fine Art Bases Ltd., New York, New York.
Status
Not on viewCollections
- African Art
20th Century
1930s
late 19th Century
20th Century
19th-late 20th Century
mid 2nd Century CE
late 19th-early 20th Century
ca. 1940s
1920s-1940s
early 19th Century
late 19th-mid 20th Century
