H x W x D: 27.3 x 55.9 x 8.3 cm (10 3/4 x 22 x 3 1/4 in.)
Type:
Mask
Geography:
Mali
Date:
Mid-20th century
Label Text:
Few objects are so generally identified with African art as the Bamana "antelope" crest mask. It is actually a complex object with tremendous variations in style and technique, but, whatever the form, all types share the same symbolism. The differences--in the degree of abstraction and the vertical or horizontal composition--are usually attributed to the regional styles set forth in 1960 by Robert Goldwater, whose work relied on museum-based research and the 1934-35 field data of F. H. Lem.
Most African sculptures are carved from one piece of wood, but the horizontal style of the antelope mask uses two: one for the head and neck, and one for the body. The mask has a strong silhouette with a long jaw, sweeping horns and flexed legs. The surface is marked with incised linear geometric designs.
Most African artists use depictions of animals to convey lessons. An appropriate animal is selected according to well-known distinctive physical or behavioral traits. The physical features of different animals are often combined to create mythical creatures whose symbolic powers are greater than ordinary beasts. This mask combines the horns of a large antelope, the long tongue of anteaters such as the aardvark and the pangolin, and the textured skin of the pangolin--all animals who dig in the earth. This makes them fitting representations of Chi Wara, the supernatural being who the Bamana traditionally believed taught people to farm. Earrings reinforce the idea that these are not ordinary animals.
Young men once wore male and female pairs of masks in a dance performance that taught, praised and encouraged good farmers. Ceremonies were held in the fields. Today, because of the conversion to Islam and modern changes in employment and school attendance, the masquerade has become more a popular entertainment and less a performance associated with a men's initiation society. Many replicas of the mask can be found for sale in urban markets; it is even copied in other parts of Africa for the export trade.
Description:
Light colored wood antelope crest mask with two pieces attached at the neck, covered with dark blue cloth. Mask has a single set of backward sweeping horns, round ears with blue fiber, fiber in nose, short forward curving tail and open lozenged legs attached to base. Incised linear geometric designs decorate the body and head.
Provenance:
Eliot Elisofon, New York, before 1955 to 1973
Exhibition History:
Thinking with Animals, African Images and Perceptions, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., March 24-September 7, 1982
Three Collections: An Exhibition, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts, June 1-17, 1955
Published References:
Elisofon, Eliot. 1958. The Sculpture of Africa. New York: Praeger, pp. 46-47, no. 38.
Plass, Margaret. 1959. The African Image: A New Selection of Tribal Art. The Toledo Museum of Art, no. 21.
Content Statement:
As part of our commitment to accessibility and transparency, the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art is placing its collection records online. Please note that some records are incomplete (missing image or content descriptions) and others reflect out-of-date language or systems of thought regarding how to engage with and discuss cultural heritage and the specifics of individual artworks. If you see content requiring immediate action, we will do our best to address it in a timely manner. Please email nmafacuratorial@si.edu if you have any questions.
Image Requests:
High resolution digital images are not available for some objects. For publication quality photography and permissions, please contact the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives at https://africa.si.edu/research/eliot-elisofon-photographic-archives/
