Mask "koma ba" ·  Côte d'Ivoire, Mau · ID: 3042080

Description

wood, greyish brown patina, partly encrusted (presumably sacrificial blood), metal clamps, anthropomorphic face with crowning horns and massive beak-like projection, min. dam., insect caused damage, cracks, traces of abrasion, base;
“koma ba”, a fierce detector of sorcery, sings and dances to attract evil spirits. Just like her male counterpart, the crude “koma su”, she is only allowed to be seen by the initates. Both masks were kept in a sacred hut at the heart of the sacred enclosure and were objects of sacrifices.

The object Mask “koma ba” with the object ID 3042080 was last part of the auction 86th Tribal Art Auction at May 27, 2017 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house and had the lot number 256.

You can find more Masks and other popular object types on our related topic pages. You may also be interested in our page on African art.

Comparing literature

Barbier, Jean Paul (ed.), Art of Côte d' Ivoire, Vol II, Genf 1993, p. 59, ill. 84 f.

Publications

Sargos, Catherine & Patrick, Arts et traditions d'Afrique, Paris 2010, p. 89, ill. 2.13

AHDRC: 0142253