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Description

Mask made of carved wood, animal skin and cloth. The face is painted a shiny black, and displays an open mouth, protruding nose, and eye holes bored through the wood. Large ears are carved at sides. Strands of hair are glued to the upper lip for a mustache, and pieces of hide are used for eyebrows. Paper is attached inside the mouth with ink lines drawn for teeth. Paper is also set inside the eyes with small tears that allow the wearer to see. The paper has writing in blue ink on the interior. A blue headband sits across the forehead. Large flaps of skin are attached around the face and used as a head cover for the wearer.

Narrative

The Butlers worked at Bunda College of Agriculture near Lilongwe, Malawi, in the 1970s. Robert Butler was invited to become a member of the Nyau secret society, and they were invited to Nyau (Gule Wamkulu) ceremonies and ritual dances (at a time when the dances were not yet performed for the public). The Butlers purchased the masks from members of the society during that time.

History Of Use

Mask worn by a male initiate in the Nyau secret society. This group of masks (3137/1-7) were used in dances that occurred after the crops were harvested (July or August). The masked men, who represented ancestral spirits or unique characters, danced to depict certain behaviours, or characteristics. The dancers also wore costumes made of grass, leaves and coloured cloth, and sometimes had white ash covering their arms and legs. They were accompanied by drumming, as well as the chanting, singing and clapping of some of the senior women.