H x W x D: 63.5 x 18.1 x 13.7 cm (25 x 7 1/8 x 5 3/8 in.)
Type:
Mask
Geography:
Mali
Label Text:
This mask was an emblem of becoming knowledgeable, cooperative members of society and once accompanied the chants and processions of Bamana boys being initiated into the n'tomo youth association. Widespread throughout the Niger Valley, n'tomo is the first jow that uninitiated boys join towards this end. It is also the gateway towards joining other initiation societies as adults, including kore. During n'tomo membership, the young men are circumcised, taught duties and responsibilities as men and respect for nyama, the vital force. The society additionally furnishes protection against evil spirits and sickness, assists in judging disputes and in regulating the agricultural work which its members must perform in cooperation.
The youth also dance with n'tomo masks such as this. The mask may represent the face of a young man and is covered in cowrie shells, connecting it to the broader Bamana worldview. The form itself recalls various episodes of the creation myth: the horns, and perhaps the seeds themselves, represent the primordial seeds created by God for constructing the universe. The performer was likely dressed in red to portray the first son of God, sower of discord, who stole the seeds from the sky in an attempt to take possession of the universe. The cowries themselves are said to represent the recapture of the mythical seeds, and the defeat of the larcenous son.
Additionally, a masked n'tomo performer would hold a whip or flexible rod, instructing the members to keep quiet and suffer in silence--a strong rebuke against sharing the society's secrets. This obligation is evident in an n'tomo song: 'Close your mouth firmly, close your mouth; the mouth is the enemy' (Aw ye a gweleya aw daw la, da de jugu ye). Perhaps the mask's absence of a visible mouth attests to this imperative.
N'tomo still exists in many localities, although it has been altered under Muslim influence. Consequently, mask performances are becoming more rare.
Provenance:
Eliot Elisofon, New York
Werner Gillon, New York/London, -- to 1975
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