The Chokwe people are an ethnic group who inhabit areas of central and southern Africa, particularly Angola, southwestern parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and northwestern parts of Zambia. They were originally one of the twelve clans which made up the Lunda Empire, a confederation of states which existed from the 17th century until the end of the 19th century. However, the Chokwe people refused to pay tribute to the emperor and then became independent. They gained wealth through trading and became more powerful, eventually invading the Lunda Empire and dismantling it before 1900. The settlements often consist of village groups with several houses built around a central courtyard which acts as a meeting place. The Chokwe people are known for their specialised craft work, producing baskets, pottery, masks, statues, and other objects. The creation of these artworks is often connected with Chokwe mythology and belief, in which ancestor worship plays an important part.

Pwevo, or Pwo (also known as Mwana Pwevo or Mwana Pwo when she takes the form of a younger woman), is one of the most important ancestor figures (known as makishi), representing a female role model. As the ideal woman, she displays qualities such as a beautiful appearance, graceful movements, and good manners. The Chokwe people trace descent through the mother’s line, and therefore female ancestor figures are deemed worthy of great respect. Masks representing Pwevo are always danced by men, but they honour the women in the community and celebrate their prominent role, as well as symbolising fertility. When the Pwevo mask is danced, the performer uses short steps and sensual hip movements, emphasised by a bustle formed of cloth and rattling objects which is tied around the waist. Sometimes, the performer will use stilts or acrobatic movements to emphasise her supernatural nature. Pwevo may also mime activities traditionally performed by women within Chokwe society such as grinding corn, or mimic sexual activity in order to convey a wish for fertility. The women in the community may chase away a performer that they disapprove of, and they call for their favourite dancers using codenames, since their real identity must be kept secret. Pwevo appears among other makishi as part of the mukanda, the circumcision ceremony which marks the initiation of boys into adulthood. During this event, the boys are removed from the village for a period of several months in order to learn about adult life before returning for a final ceremony to complete their transition. Surrounding this period, the makishi are present in order to guide and support both the boys and the other members of the village community. Pwevo especially supports the mothers of the boys, as it is acknowledged that seeing their sons grow into adulthood can be difficult because of feelings of a loss of intimacy. She celebrates their importance in relation to the ceremony and also acts as an emissary between the mothers in the village and the initiation camp. The masks often emphasise the beauty of Pwevo, using scarification marks and elegant hairstyles.

The female face that this mask depicts has a pointed chin, with a wide forehead. Her mouth is slightly open, showing rows of carved teeth, and the nose is narrow and delicate. Her wide oval-shaped eyes are almost entirely closed, leaving small slits for the performer to see out of. Her eyebrows are delicate and thin. She has a star shape on her chin, as well as inverted arches of dots on both cheeks with three small vertical lines underneath; these probably represent scarification marks. Both of her earlobes are pierced with a single hole, and her left ear has a hooped metal earring attached. The covering attached to the edges of the mask would cover the performer’s neck, helping to obscure their identity. Her hairstyle is elaborately constructed from a fibrous material, and adorned on the top with buttons, beads, and shells, as well as a metal disc which hangs down over her forehead. The scarification marks and decorative hairstyle are used to convey the beauty of Pwevo, as this is an important part of her identity.