Makonde (Wamakonde), Tanzania and Mozambique
Body
mask (Njorowe). Among the Makonde in southeastern Tanzania,
masquerading is linked with the initiation of adolescent boys and girls, to prepare them
for their future role of husbands and wives. In the masquerades held at the end of
isolation period, the actors dance and pantomime relations between the sexes and embody
various characters, each topic being represented by a particular mask type. In earlier
periods, a body plate (njorowe) with breasts,
protruding navel and a bulging belly represented a young, pregnant woman. It was part of
the costume of a male dancer whose face was concealed behind a female mask. In his
performance with a male mask figure, he moved sluggishly, mimed sexual intercourse with
his partner, and demonstrated the burdens of pregnancy and giving birth. These evocative
performances can still be observed among the Makonde today, although the use of body masks
has since declined.
Size: 21x10½x7