Mask (Ntomo society)

Date19th-20th century

Label TextBoys wear masks as part of their training in a sequence of Bamana societies. Ntomo masks are surmounted with horns and are said to begin a life long process of acquiring knowledge. Nearly every Bamana male had to pass through six initiation societies to acquire a comprehensive awareness of ancestral traditions.

Object number81.17.16

Provenance[Gallery K, Los Angeles, California]; purchased from gallery by Katherine White (1929-1980), Seattle, Washington, 1975; bequeathed to Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, Washington, 1981

Credit LineGift of Katherine White and the Boeing Company

Dimensions22 7/16 x 10 11/16 x 5 5/8 in. (57 x 27.2 x 14.3 cm)

MediumWood, metal, and pigment