Antelope mask, Kasiyamaliro

An Antelope Mask, or Kasiyamaliro, from the Chewa people of Malawi in Africa. Among the Chewa, animal masks are worn to perform ritual dances during funerals. The final dance of the antelope mask, called Kasiyamaliro, or "Let's Stop the Funeral," signals the return of well-being to the community as the deceased's spirit enters the world of the ancestors. Corn husk masks are regularly burned at the end of ceremonies, but elders gave their permission for this mask to be taken from the village.