Body mask of "poro" society · Guinea, Koranko · ID: 3043940
Alain Lecomte, Paris, France
Description
wood, nassa snails, animal hair, mass, power materials, red cloth (signifyingin “poro”), base
Masks of the “poro” society incarnate bush spirits, called “nyenne”. They are affixed to the back of the masquerader in a vertical position and serve to visually distinguish between each grade in their “poro” hierarchy. Present mask represents a boys “poro” mask. This mask is present at the “birike”, the initiation ritual of young boys when they first enter the Sacred Bush.
The object Body mask of “poro” society with the object ID 3043940 was last part of the auction 89th Tribal Art Auction at July 7, 2018 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house and had the lot number 147.
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Comparing literature
Carey, Neil, Masks of the Koranko Poro, Amherst 2007