Mask "ntomo" · Mali, Bamana · ID: 3041241
sold
EUR 1,800
Provenance
Galerie Noir d’Ivoire, Paris, France (1988)Alex Wittendorff, Copenhagen, Denmark
Size
H: 41 cm
H: 16.1 inch
Description
wood, red abrus beans, characteristic form but entirely covered with an unusual thick layer of various sacrificial matters, so that the crowning teeth cannot be distinguished individually, small traces of insect caused damage;
the “ntomo” is an initiation society for children. The “ntomo” starts with the beginning of the harvest season in november. In the subsequent dry season the novices visit the surrounding villages begging for alms and food. This is where the mask of “ntomo” frequently appears. The unobstrusive mouth part of the mask emphasizes the central message of the “ntomo”, namely the value of silence and the art of speaking deliberately.