Hemba So'o mask
A
classical piece for most collections.
Chimpanzees
are rarely featured in African art because their resemblance to humans can be
unsettling.
An
exception are the misi gwa so'o masks of the Hemba. This type of masks
inspired the smiley emoticons.
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.
Misi gwa so'o (Chimpanzee Hemba Mask)
23 cm high, dry patina, hard wood
Price
This old Hemba So'o Kasikasingo monkey mask 23 cm high, dry patina, hard wood .
Price 2.300
€ Also called mwisi gwa so'o's . Southeastern Congo ( Kinshasa)
similar piece in : The Center for African art: The art of collecting African
art. New York, 1988:45 (Coll. Anspach)
+32- 3-227.35.40
