A Hemba chimpanzee mask collected in Manono, DR Congo, known as Misi gwa so'o, with a striking wide opened mouth with slight indented teeth. Glossy patina; signs of ritual use and age. Incl. stand. Misi gwa soo masks are associated with the Hemba peoples of the southeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and belong to a category of masquerade objects that articulate relationships between human society, animal behavior, and moral regulation. The term Misi gwa soo refers to a masquerade persona characterized by references to the chimpanzee, an animal understood locally as occupying a liminal position between the human community and the forest world. The mask does not depict a chimpanzee naturalistically but mobilizes selected traits to construct a symbolic agent activated through performance. Carved in wood and often combined with fiber attachments and dark surface treatments, Misi gwa soo masks exhibit a synthesis of zoomorphic and anthropomorphic features. Protruding muzzles, exposed or bared teeth, and pronounced brow ridges evoke simian physiognomy, while bilateral symmetry and controlled proportions maintain a recognizable human framework. This formal hybridity underscores the masquerade’s function as a mediator between categories rather than a fixed representation of an animal type. The masquerade associated with Misi gwa soo appears in public contexts where social tensions, moral infractions, or moments of transition require collective attention. The chimpanzee persona embodies behaviors perceived as excessive or uncontrolled, such as greed, aggression, or sexual impropriety, while also referencing intelligence and social mimicry. Through dance, gesture, and vocalization, the performer enacts these traits in exaggerated form, allowing the community to confront and discipline them symbolically. Meaning is generated through movement and sound as much as through carved form. The mask’s expressive features are calibrated for kinetic visibility, particularly in outdoor performance settings at the edge of settlements or near forest zones. Raffia costumes, percussive accompaniment, and choreographed gestures complete the transformation, temporarily suspending the performer’s personal identity in favor of the masquerade persona. Material accretions such as patina, abrasion, and pigment residue attest to repeated activation rather than age alone. The mask’s efficacy depends on proper handling, restricted knowledge, and adherence to performative protocols. Its power is not intrinsic to the object as sculpture but emerges through the convergence of form, body, sound, and audience. Biebuyck, Daniel. The Arts of Zaire. University of California Press, 1985. Felix, Marc Leo. 100 Peoples of Zaire and Their Sculpture. Zaire Basin Art History Research Center, 1987. Merriam, Alan P. African Music in Perspective. Northwestern University Press, 1982. Roberts, Allen F., and Mary Nooter Roberts. Memory: Luba Art and the Making of History. Prestel, 1996. Vogel, Susan Mullin. Africa Explores: 20th Century African Art. Center for African Art, 1991. CAB27948 Height: 27 cm without stand