If the mouthbow appears simple in its physical aspect, the research we have undertaken proves the opposite. In its basic form (a hooked branch held together by a strip), it contains a complex reality which could only be understood by considering the links which exist between the different elements which make up the bow. Its complexity can equally be perceived in the variety of musical bows, the uniqueness of each bow as well as the divergent techniques and circumstances under which they are played. The acoustic analysis of the sounds of this instrument reveals even more its complexity through the variety of the nature of the sounds, as well as their fluctuation that we have been able to observe through our study. Finally, through the meaning that the people give to this instrument, the complexity of the musical bow is even more blatant in the sense that it brings to bare an aspect of the social identity of the people to those who observe this instrument in the museums as well as those who keep them as private objects. If for some it is a simple instrument for entertainment, for others, it is a ritual object, a talking and mediatory instrument which encloses a deep and rich history of the people of Africa. It is our hope that our research will call for a deeper collaboration between the North and the South in such matters, a real desire to know the other based on values and not on prejudices.