Monkey mask "ngon" · Mali, Bamana · ID: 3038275
Description
wood, shiny dark brown patina, pointed open mouth, deepened eye zone with triangular pierced eyes, incised geometrical tattoos, small pierced ears, min. dam., traces of insect caused damage (backside), small missing parts, slight traces of abrasion;
monkey masks are danced both by the “kore” and by the “ton” association. The dancer is referred to as “sulaw”. In “kore” society these masks were danced during planting and harvesting seasons, in case a member of the society died, and when new initiates were admitted every seven years. “Ngon” masks function as reminder of the animalistic qualities of man at its worst - and the need for a constant repression of that banality. The masks were also used to chase uninitiates away from the sacred grove, “kore tou”, where initiates learn of the secrets of “kore”.
Comparing literature
Colleyn, Jean Paul (Hg.), Bamana, Zürich 2001, p. 110, ill. 89 Davis, Charles B., The Animal Motif in Bamana Art, New Orleans o. J., p. 38 f.