Minneapolis Institute of Art

Misi gwa so'o (Chimpanzee Mask)

Hemba artist

Date

20th century

Medium

Wood

Culture

Hemba

Department

Arts of Global Africa

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

Chimpanzees are rarely featured in African art because their resemblance to humans can be unsettling. Exceptions are the misi 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 were not meant to be comical, but rather fearsome and terrifying. Misi gwa so'o masks were used at funerals to symbolize the presence of death. Democratic Republic of the Congo

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