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SAM'S collection
Head of the Kono (Kono-kun)
Head of the Kono (Kono-kun)

Head of the Kono (Kono-kun)

Label TextWide open jaws suggest a tribute to the hyena, said to possess enormous knowledge about the bush and its secrets. Being a nocturnal creature that lives in holes in the earth, the hyena is credited with an exceptional ability to smell and to see what is coming next. Kono performances are best known for their songs, which are delivered through a reed pipe to imitate the voice of conscience and point out the path of proper behavior.
Object number81.17.17
ProvenanceCollection of Wayne Long, Los Angeles, California; sold to Katherine White (1929-1980), Seattle, Washington, 1975; bequeathed to Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, Washington, 1981
Credit LineGift of Katherine White and the Boeing Company
Dimensions11 x 15 3/8 x 38 5/8 in. (27.9 x 39 x 98.1 cm)
MediumWood and pigment
Photo: Elizabeth Mann
Malian, Bamana culture
20th century
Object number: 2009.55.3
Marionette Head of a Bird
Bamana
20th century
Object number: 2003.103
Mask (Ntomo society)
Bamana
19th-20th century
Object number: 81.17.16
Mask
Bamana
19th-20th century
Object number: 81.17.19
Photo: Elizabeth Mann
Bamana
early 20th century
Object number: 2012.1.3
Hyena Mask (Kore Society)
Bamana
Object number: 81.17.546
Head of the Komo (Komo-ku)
Malian
Object number: 81.17.18
Funeral Head mask (Kponungo)
Senufo
Object number: 81.17.265
Head of Alunga
Zaire
Object number: 81.17.791