Colorful Nyau Society Mask

This colorful mask comes from the Chewa people of Malawi. During national holidays, funerals, and at the end of initiations, the Nyau Society, a brotherhood of initiated men, sponsors the performance of masked dancers known as Gule Wamkulu, the Great Dance. According to anthropologist Laurel Birch de Aguilar, “As in most activities in Chewa village life, the society is divided by gender. Those who create and wear the masks for the Gule Wamkulu are male, and those who sing and clap with the masked dancers are female. Only men are masked dancers, whose identities are intended to be hidden by the masks they wear” (Nyau Masks of the Chewa: An Oral Historical Introduction). This particular mask, from the estate collection of New York writer Gary Munn, probably dates to the 1960s or ’70s. Typical of Nyau masks, it is colorful, painted, and features paper-lined eyes that allow the performer maximal vision while hiding all but the black pupils of his eyes. Nyau masks represent a variety of animal and human characters drawn from traditional folklore, regional politics, gossip, and popular culture.

13″ height including textile

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