Artwork Page for Helmet Mask

Details / Information for Helmet Mask

Helmet Mask

early to mid-1900s

Western Sudan, Ivory Coast, Senufo, 20th century

Medium
wood
Measurements
Overall: 122 cm (48 1/16 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Katherine C. White 1972.336
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
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Description

The iconography of this helmet mask is comprised of sculpted renderings of different animal attributes including a ram's horns, a warthog's tusks, a crocodile's mouth, and a hyena's snout. Carved between the long antelope horns is a miniature chameleon that holds an abstract wing-shaped motif called mangele. Intended to impress and terrify, the sculpture's fearsome aesthetic alludes to the mask's power as an anti-sorcery device.
A dark brown wood carving features a horizontal helmet mask with a weathered surface. On the left, an open jaw reveals jagged teeth beneath thick, upward-curving horns. A small bird perches atop the central dome, flanked by two almond-shaped ears. Two long, tapered horns extend from the rear toward the right. The matte finish and deep brown tone emphasize the sculpture's zoomorphic features, representing a mythical animal form.

Helmet Mask

early to mid-1900s

Western Sudan, Ivory Coast, Senufo, 20th century

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