This mask is called "Mwisi Gwa So'o", or
Chimpanzee spirit.
The exaggerated features of the half-human, half-
chimpanzee mask is symbolic of the untouched and untamed wilderness. Used in funerals, the mask functions to reconcile the world
between the living and the dead.
Like death, the mask disturbs peace
and harmony to later restore the normal order of things.
The function
of the mask is to run around the village frightening youngsters &
pregnant women away. Then, during a second stage it performs amid
the spectators and amuses the crowds by its antics, accompanied by
the sound of the drums and songs.
The chimpanzee is thus presented
as a symbol of the passage of the deceased to the other world.
Ex Jean Pierre Hallet,
Ex. Scott Rodolitz, Ex. Christopher and Genevieve McConnell collection.
Height: 7 ¾”
Width: 4 ⅞”
Depth: 2 1/4”
