Hemba Wood Mask, Democratic Republic of Congo

Narrowed eyes, a blade of a nose, and very little sympathy.

This mask is Hemba, from the Democratic Republic of Congo in Central Africa, and dates to the 20th century. It is wood. Hemba masks are less common than the people's famous ancestor figures, and are thought to have appeared at funerary and social events, with a wide mouth and animal character that recalls the monkey or chimpanzee. Scholars differ on details. Hooded eyes sit under a sharp central ridge, above a long straight nose that drops into a broad rounded lower face. A small toothed edge runs around the rim. Nine and a half inches high.

Hard to tell whether it is judging you. Probably.