Zoomorphic mask "hombo" · Burkina Faso, Bobo · ID: 3038486
Description
wood, matt patina, polychrome paint, dominated by a rectangular, teeth-revealing mouth and high forehead crest, flanked by small ears/horns, chin plug, collection label “Y2.A8.88” at the back, min. dam., cracks, traces of abrasion, base;
these masks represent the spirit “hombo”, a protective spirit of the blacksmith.
Most of the masks depict beings from the bush in an animalic or fantastic shape, invisible for humans. The knowledge of the masks and of their geometrical patterns is restricted to the male population. During a two week initiation the boys are introduced to this secret knowledge, which also serves for mediation of social and moral values.
The object Zoomorphic mask “hombo” with the object ID 3038486 was last part of the auction 80th Tribal Art Auction at June 27, 2015 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house and had the lot number 187.
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Comparing literature
Förster, Till, Skulptur in Westafrika, Freiburg im Breisgau 1995, p. 70, ill. 2-32