West Africa, Mali, Bandiagara region, Bamana people, ca. late 19th early 20th century CE. An intricate wooden mask depicting an oval face, a pronged headdress, and a smaller figure on the top, all hand-carved from a single piece of wood! The mask's visage is stylized with a jutting, angular nose, petite lips, and drilled holes for eyes under the brow through which the wearer could see. Incised lines on the brow indicate ritualistic tattoos or scarification. Surmounted on the forehead is an anthropomorphic female figure, with prominent breasts, navel, and angular head. A large pronged headdress rises from the back, and two large horns or ears point downward along the sides. Learn more about the Ntomo society that used comb-like headdresses like this example in the extended description below Size: 23" L x 8.5" W (58.4 cm x 21.6 cm)

Bamana people have six societies for men, and this mask is representative of the Ntomo, a society for boys before circumcision. They would dance with such masks during their initiation rituals, marking their transition from boys to men. The pronged headdress represents the seeds of creation from the god which created the universe. Interestingly, the number of prongs indicates the gender of the mask; although only five remain, it appears the mask originally had six prongs, which would indicate that this mask is male.

Provenance: private Houston, Texas, USA collection, purchased in Chelsea Pier, New York, New York, USA in 1995

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#162793

Losses to headdress and missing one prong. Stable fissures and cracks. Old inactive insect cavities on verso along rim. Dark patina!