African Arts Gallery

Bamana mask (N° 23417)

Used in the context of the cult of Kono, an ancient initiatory society that spread to Mali and western Burkina Faso, this animal mask has the function of directing the force of wild animals in a beneficial way " waraw", to attract their protection to promote female fertility and the fertility of the land, to guard against sorcerers and to exercise justice.
Grainy brown patina, satin.
Established in central and southern Mali, in a savannah zone, the Bambara, "Bamana" or "unbelievers", as the Muslims have named them, belong to the large Mande group, with the Soninke and the Malinke. The Bambara nyamakala artisan groups, more specifically the blacksmiths named numu, are in charge of carving ritual objects, endowed with the nyama , occult energy. Using fire and magic items, they are further assigned the role of healer and diviner. Their powers are transmitted to their wives, who alone have the right to produce the pottery. Six male associations, the Dyow, using Bambara masks, structure the Bambara community: young people first enter the circumcision society n'tomo, then comes that of the komo, the nama, the kono, the koré and finally the agrarian society Tyi Wara .