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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
20th century
Object number: 2009.55.3
Head of the Komo (Komo-ku)
Bamana
Object number: 81.17.18
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
Lion Mask
Bamana
1850-1980
Object number: 81.17.20
Photo: Elizabeth Mann
Bamana
early 20th century
Object number: 2012.1.3
Photo: Paul Macapia
Bamana
Object number: 81.17.23
Male Farming Animal headdress (Ci Wara)
Bamana
Object number: 81.17.24
Hyena Mask (Kore Society)
Bamana
Object number: 81.17.546