Mozambique

Mozambique is a country in southeast Africa, home to Makua, Makonde and many other peoples. Their histories include striking traditions of facial marking and body decoration.

Some patterns were made by cutting the skin and rubbing pigment into the wounds. Once healed, the design combined a dark colour with the texture of a scar. Tattooing and scarification could become part of the same marking.

Makonde designs, known as dinembo, included chevrons, zigzags, dots and straight lines. Initiation and the transition to adulthood were important occasions, although practices differed between communities.

One arrangement described in older accounts used crossing lines to divide the face into sections, making it look almost stitched together. Similar markings appeared on masks and carvings. The decorated face could therefore become a model for an artwork as well as a powerful personal appearance.