Head of the Komo (Komo-ku)
"Exquisitely horrorific" is what Patrick McNaughton, an American scholar, calls this mask type. A Bamana sculptor-blacksmith, Sedou Traore, said, "The Komo mask is made to look like an animal. But it is not an animal; it is a secret."
Aggressive features from several animals are brought together while a crusty assemblage of medicines cloaks the mask in ritual protection.
The unexpected often happens during Komo performances. Saboteurs are likely to set traps in the performer's path or place deadly powders on the wings of insects and unleash them in Komo's midst. Despite constant obstacles, Komo sings and dances throughout the night. In a distorted voice, Komo sings of illness, crop failure, social discontent, and other bad fortunes. One short excerpt serves to chastise those worried about their destiny:
all mornings don't bleach the same way.
A man may walk
then finish by crawling in the world
all days don't bleach the same way
Man's hope is man.
(Recorded by Patrick McNaughton, 1979)
Wood, horn, porcupine quill, hair, metal, pigment, and encrustations
23 1/4 x 32 3/4 in. (59.06 x 83.19 cm)
Gift of Katherine White and the Boeing Company
81.17.18
Provenance: Acquired by Katherine White (1929-1980), Seattle, Washington, 1967 (location unknown); bequeathed to Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, Washington, 1981