Hemba Zoomorphic Mask

This zoomorphic mask, known as "Soko Mutu" ("the chimpanzee-man"), illustrates the great creativity of Hemba sculptors. Carved from light wood, it presents a powerful and expressive model: a wide prognathic jaw, marked brow ridges, a half-open mouth suggesting an expression that is both threatening and parodic. The dark, cracked patina testifies to long ritual use and repeated manipulation.

The Soko Mutu occupies a central place in initiation ceremonies and dances linked to secret societies, particularly within male associations. Representing the chimpanzee - an animal considered an ambiguous double of man - this mask embodied brute force, the transgression of social rules and the necessary domestication of primary instincts. Through his theatrical appearances, he reminded the initiated of the dangers of inhumanity and the fragility of the balance between nature and culture.

Provenance

• Dispersion of an Angevin collection, Salorges, December 2006
• Private Collection in Nantes