Monkey mask "n'gon" · Mali, Bamana · ID: 3041242
not available anymore
Provenance
Mogens Balle (1921-1988), Asmindrup, Denmark (member of the Cobra group)Danish Private Collection (1993)
Lempertz, Brussels, 27 January 2015, lot 186
Size
H: 31,5 cm
H: 12.4 inch
Description
wood, dark brown patina, pierced rectangular eyes, open mouth, min. dam., small missing parts, fine cracks, slight traces of abrasion, base;
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”.