Makonde Miniature Pregnant Belly Mask Tanzania

This so-called pregnant belly mask comes from the Makonde people. Women play an important role in Makonde mythology and art. The legend is that a man carved a figure of a woman, fell asleep, and awoke to find that the statue had come to life. She gave him many children and later became a venerated ancestress. The Makonde have an ancestress cult. Female body masks, depicting a torso with breasts, a pregnant belly, and sometimes scarification patterns, promoted fertility. This female body mask was part of the costume of a special ndimu masker called amwalindembo presenting a young pregnant woman. The mask was worn by a man and his performances emphasize the difficulty of childbirth.

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