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Source Description
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.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
169324
label
Helmet Mask
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
169324
contentType
object
title
Helmet Mask
description
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.
date
possibly early to mid-1900s
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
genreSpecific
Mask
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Overall: 36 cm (14 3/16 in.)
cul
Africa, West Africa, Mali, Bamana-style blacksmith-carver
accession
2011.196
Source extras
tec
Wood and organic materials
tombstone
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
collection
African Art
inscriptions
inscription
The inside of the mask bears the inscription with white ink of the number 107
didYouKnow
This mask likely depicts a hyena, an animal known for its intellect and knowledge of the bush.
citations
citation
Colleyn, Jean-Paul, Mary Jo Arnoldi, Museum for African Art (New York, N.Y.), and Museum Rietberg. 2001. <em>Bamana : The Art of Existence in Mali</em>. New York, Zurich, Gent: Museum for African Art ; Museum Rietberg ; Snoek-Ducaju & Zoon, cat. 179.
citation
Gagliardi, Susan Elizabeth, and Constantijn Petridis. <em>Senufo Unbound: Dynamics of Art and Identity in West Africa</em>. Cleveland: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 2015.
page_number
pp. 260-261, fig. 197
creditline
Severance and Greta Millikin Purchase Fund
updatedAt
2026-05-29 08:42:13.841000
sourceId
169324
dept
African Art
coll
African Art
med
Wood and organic materials
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
b687db78d872dd99