Zoomorphic mask "ntomo" · Mali, Marka / Malinke · ID: 3042826
not available anymore
Provenance
Henry Easterwood, Tennessee, USAMark Eglinton, New York, USA
Size
H: 65 cm
H: 25.6 inch
Description
wood, mass, cowry shells, abrus seeds, buttons, base
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.
Comparing literature
Colleyn, Jean Paul (Hg.), Bamana, Zürich 2001, p. 105, ill. 81 Museum of Primitive Art (ed.), Bambara sculpture from the Western Sudan, New York 1960, p. 31, ill. 33