Chewa Secret Society Mask Malawi Sidley Collection

The Chewa people, a Bantu ethnic group, inhabit Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique. Their rich culture includes masks, secret societies, advanced farming methods, and a unique language, Chichewa, also referred to as Nyanja or Chinyanja, which has been the national language of Malawi since the late 1960s until the mid-1990s. The Chewa have a maternal lineage system and place great importance on their cultural heritage, which includes ancient traditions and customs predating European colonization and Christianity. Nyau secret societies and the Festival of the Dead are prominent aspects of Chewa society, while the main industry remains agriculture with a focus on corn (maize) and sorghum crops.

Provenance: Niña Sidley Collection

After a long career in publishing, Niña Sidley returned to her first love: collecting the art, artifacts, and textiles of the world’s indigenous peoples. Part of her mission has been to educate others and to honor the extraordinary creativity, ingenuity, and heartfelt messages these handmade works send from their makers. Niña believes this deep respect for tradition and beauty inspires and ties all of us together as one world

Stand not included.

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