A Hemba Were-chimpanzee wooden mask, Democratic Republic Republic of Congo, with an exaggerated grin, pointed nose, slanted eyes with exaggeratedly arched eyebrows; brown encrusted patina, signs of ritual use. Certificate of origin and provenance.

“ […] mwisi gwa so'o masks of the Hemba. The exaggerated features of the half-human, half-chimpanzee mask contrast greatly with the noble and reserved ancestral figures of the classic Hemba style. The wide, open mouth and raised eyebrows are not meant to be comical, but rather fearsome and terrifying. Mwisi gwa so'o masks were used at funerals to symbolize the presence of death.”
Source: Minneapollis Institute of Art.

sold

Height: 29 cm
Weight: 1,7 kg (incl. stand)