Kuba
Face Mask (Ngady Mwaash)
Can I see it?
Not on view at present
Where is “Face Mask (Ngady Mwaash)” now? Collection: Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago. Not on view at present. Checked September 29, 2026.
Art Institute of Chicago
Chicago, United States
It belongs to the collection, but is not on display at present.
- Checked
- In this state since
- Source
- The museum
About the sculpture
The ngady mwaash mask honors the role of women in Kuba life. It portrays a woman but, like other masks in Africa, is performed by a man. The most popular appearance of ngady mwaash is in a pantomime about the kingdom’s creation: ngady mwaash dances together with the mooshamb-wooy mask, representing the king (who is both her brother and her husband), and the bwoom mask [See 1982.1506].
Art Institute of ChicagoCC BY 4.0
Details
- Accession number
- 1982.1505
What it shows
In the catalog
Sources
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Image: Art Institute of Chicago — © the artist or rights holder
