The mask or Mbalangwe on display is from the Nyau society of the Chewa tribe and was probably made by a professional mask maker. The red of the mask is associated with women, whilst the black represents death. The scarification marks on the mask mean that the mask depicts a respected woman who has undergone initiation.
Chewa women can also become chiefs, so it is possible that the mask depicts a female chief.
The feather headress and height of the mask indicate its sacred importance. Only men can perform with the masks which are used in the initiation of boys and girls in Nyau society, for funerals and in rememberance of important people. Also on display in this case is a quiver of poisoned arrows that was presented to the Materia Medica Department at St Andrews University by Sir Thomas Fraser who was a 19th Century Professor of Materia Medica at the University of Edinburgh. It had been given to him by Sir Frederick Lugard, the first Governor of Nigeria.