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Description

Mask made of carved wood, animal skin, cloth and feathers. The face is painted orange, and displays an open mouth, small rectangular nose, small eye holes bored through the wood, and small ears to the sides. Tufts of hair are glued to the upper lip for a mustache. Three lines are drawn to the outside of each eye, and a half circle with two groups of three lines sits between the eyebrows, which are small pieces of hide. Small carved wooden teeth, unpainted, are attached inside the mouth, and white paper is set inside the eyes with holes torn in the centre to allow the wearer to see. Short-haired goat hide is attached around the edges of the mask with crown of head left bald, and to it at the back is sewn light brown cotton fabric that covers the head of the wearer. Atop the mask is a group of tall brown feathers.

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.