Description:

**First Time At Auction**

Africa, Mali, Bamana peoples, ca. early to mid 20th century CE. A fascinating hand-carved wood mask representing the stylized face of a hyena, used in the initiation ritual for young men in the Bamana society. The heavy brow is characteristic of the Bamana carving style. With pointed ears, square-cut eyes, and a double beard, it has a distorted, abstract appearance but its meaning would be immediately apparent to members of the society. This style of mask is called Kore (the society of young men) Suruku (hyena). Size: 5.75" L x 5.9" W x 17.8" H (14.6 cm x 15 cm x 45.2 cm)

The spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta) is native to the Bamana homeland in Mali, and they play a lively role in their folklore. They are seen as "abnormal and ambivalent… considered to be sly, brutish, necrophagous, dangerous…" according to the folklorist Frembgen (1998). Within their secret societies, the Bamana people practice transformative rituals where they use masks and role-playing to become animals; in the Kore cult for young men, the animal they become is the hyena. By playing the hyena, they act out the trickiness and nastiness that they believe the animal embodies, provoking fear and providing moral guidance on how not to act as good citizens of Bamana society.

Compare to this example sold at Christie's Paris for EUR 2000 in 2011: http://www.christies.com/lotfinder/Lot/masque-bamana-kore-suruku-mali-5462234-details.aspx

Provenance: Ex-Adeon Gallery, Chicago, IL, acquired prior to 1970

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#119099

  • Condition: Chip to horn on one side; large crack from age up side of face. Other small surface cracks and losses. Small stain on bottom underside. Small areas of remaining pigment.

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April 24, 2017 10:00 AM MDT
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Artemis Fine Arts

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