Female Ancestral Mask (Ndoli Jowi/Nòwo)

This mask represents an ideal ancestral woman, at the height of her youth and beauty. The rings around the neck are considered the essence of beauty. The delicacy and reserved expression of its face is mirrored in the demeanor of young girls as a result of their training during initiation. The initiates learn wisdom, beauty, grace, and self-control, which they will need while living in a multigenerational and polygamous household. The elaborate carvings surmounting the hairdo of the mask represents a bird with two mice and two horns lying along the haircrest. On the front and back of the mask, a pair of songba, or “talking” drums, replaces the usual protective amulets.