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This impressive minimalistic brass mask was
made by the Bamana/Bambara group of Mali. It
comprises a tall, slim face, greatly extended with
a pointed hat. The eyes are small and almond-
shaped, clustered closely around the long, sharp
nose. The mouth is also very small; the face is
reminiscent of Modigliani’s primitivist renderings
of the human face. The hatband is a raised
section that crossed the forehead, while the hat
is in a crested design running antero-
posteriorly. The ears are adorned with what may
be earrings or perhaps sideburns. Comparatively
little is known about Bamana masking traditions
compared with their extensively studied
neighbours, the Dogon. However, it would have
belonged to a prominent member of a secret
society. The fact that it is made from metal
implies that it was an elite object, as metal was
an exceptionally rare and valuable resource in
pre-colonial Africa.
The Bambara/Bamana is one of the largest
groups in Mali (about 2.5 million) and lives in a
savannah grassland area that contrasts strongly
with the Dogon heartland. Their linguistic
heritage indicates that they are part of the Mande
group, although their origins go back perhaps as
far as 1500 BC. The Mande-speaking Songhai
empire dissolved in the 1600s, and many Mande
speakers spread out along the Nigeria River
Basin. The Bamana empire arose from these
remnant populations in around 1740, and
reached its imperial maximum in the 1780s
under the rule of N’golo Diarra.
Their society is Mande-like overall, with
patrilineal descent and a nobility/vassal caste
system. Their complex history is echoed in the
systematics of indigenous art traditions. There
are four main mask forms, related to various
secret societies. Other forms include the famous
Chi-Wara headcrest, which was used to
encourage good harvests, and heavily encrusted
zoomorphic ‘Boli’ figures. Everyday items include
iron staffs, door-locks, wooden puppets and
equestrian figures, which double as accessories
for male initiation ceremonies.
This is an unusual and highly decorative piece of
African art.
- (X.1030 (LSO))
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