Zoomorphic mask "misikun" ·  Mali, Minianka · ID: 3053469

Description

wood, pigments, resin-like mass, rest.

This rare “misikun” mask from the Minianka people of Mali combines ritual significance with a powerful, abstract formal language. The horns, which curve almost into a circle, symbolise perfection and allude to spiritual conceptions of the divine principle of creation, which are rooted in both Bamana traditions and interpretations influenced by Islam.

In a ceremonial context, the mask was part of a portable puppet figure that appeared during initiation and festival performances. As a representation of a “misiba” (dairy cow), it embodied generosity, prosperity and the central importance of livestock to community life and agriculture.

Comparing literature

van Dyke, Kristina, African Art from the Menil Collection, Houston 2008, p. 62 f.