Abstract
The Chewa of central Malawi are not known for their art and are rarely mentioned in the art historical literature. Yet they do have a rich tradition of basketry and carved masks, including two large and intricate basketry masks previously published only in a few Chichewa writings.' Known as Kasiyamaliro and Chimkoko, they are used in initiation rituals for the men's Nyau secret society. I researched these Nyau masks from 1984 to 1986 through fieldwork, interviews, and reviews of available material in Malawi.2 Research on this secret society has been done before, but a great deal of it refers primarily to the Mang'anja people in the southern region, around Chancellor College in Zomba.3 Only a few Malawian writers and longtime expatriates have studied Nyau among the Chewa, and their descriptions of customs, most written in the local language, have been incomplete. Even less has been published on the masks, particularly the basketry masks. Penalties for society members who reveal Nyau secrets are severe, so open discussions are rare. Another reason for the dearth of material on Chewa culture is their
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