Helmet Mask
possibly early to mid-1900s
Maker Unknown
African Art
Helmet Mask, possibly early to mid-1900s. Africa, West Africa, Mali, Bamana-style blacksmith-carver. Wood and organic materials; overall: 36 cm (14 3/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Severance and Greta Millikin Purchase Fund 2011.196 Belonging to the Kono association, one of the Bamana people’s most powerful men’s groups, this mask’s shape seems to evoke the hyena, an animal reputed for its intelligence and its knowledge of the bush. The Kono’s main task is to offer its members protection against witchcraft. It is also responsible for fostering fertility, solving conflicts, disciplining troublemakers, and sentencing criminals. Masquerades are among the Kono’s most public expressions; the mask’s performance is characterized by energy and vigor. This mask likely depicts a hyena, an animal known for its intellect and knowledge of the bush.
- Maker/Artist
- Maker Unknown
- Classification
- Mask
- Formatted Medium
- Wood and organic materials
- Dimensions
- Overall: 36 cm (14 3/16 in.)
- Inscribed
- Inscription: The inside of the mask bears the inscription with white ink of the number 107
- Departments
- African Art
- Accession Number
- 2011.196
- Credit Line
- Severance and Greta Millikin Purchase Fund
- Exhibitions
- Senufo: Art and Identity in West Africa, The Cleveland Museum of Art (2/22/15-5/31/15) Saint Louis Art museum (6/28/15-9/27/15) Musée Fabre,Montpellier, France (11/28/15-3/6/16) "Senufo: Art and identity in West Africa"
- Rights Statement
- CC0
- Museum Location
- 108A Sub-Saharan
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