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African & Tribal Art :
African Masks : Malinke Wooden N'tomo Mask Covered with Metal and Mirrors
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Malinke Wooden N'tomo Mask Covered with Metal and Mirrors - PF.4509
Origin: Central Mali
Circa: 20
th
Century AD
Dimensions:
22.375" (56.8cm) high
x 8.25" (21.0cm) wide
Collection: African
Medium: Wood, Metal, Fiber
Location: Great Britain
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| Description |
An African ritual is a sacred drama where the
living world and the spirit world are joined
together. These great theatrical events elevate a
community from the mundane to a higher level
of consciousness; as if within the context of
ritual, conventional time and space are expanded
into another dimension. Rituals also provide an
opportunity for joyous celebration, dancing,
feasting and communal togetherness. In a dance
or masquerade a performer takes on another
persona as he acts out conflicts, dilemmas and
feelings according to the theme of his character
expressed in the mask he wears.
One of the most unique and exciting masks is
the multi-horned N'tomo used in initiation
ceremonies. This wondrous mask immediately
grabs our attention and transfixes our gaze on
the multitude of textural changes, layered
multiple eyeholes, voluptuous hair, and striking
row of horns. For young boys and girls the rite of
passage was of crucial importance. It marked
that almost mystical point in their lives between
the fantasies of childhood and the serious world
of maturity. The leaving of one life for another is
both magical and unnerving; it is an adventure
into the unknown. This mask reflects this crucial
stage of life with its corrugated metal discs
twisting like wheels of machinery, shiny mirrors
sparkling with light, semi-circles and quarter
moon, thick orbs as eye sockets- all set in a
dazzling array of brilliant reflections of light and
shade. This beautiful work of art is both
futuristic and antediluvian, of the real world and
far beyond it, hovering in a trembling moment
between two spheres, as are the young boys and
girls who stand on the threshold of a new life.
- (PF.4509)
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