Bolo Mask
1 of 3
Object Label
Becoming Again
Masquerade is a moment for play—a chance to invent and experiment, even within established social needs and existing mask genres. These two pairs of related works demonstrate artistic innovation in existing masquerade genres over time.
The two Bobo works share a basic form—a domed helmet with an extended vertical face, close-set eyes, and ridged horns—typical of Bobo mask style. The archaic features, weathered surface, and evidence of local repairs suggest that the nineteenth-century mask (far left) was a work of considerable local importance. It may represent an intellectual and visual predecessor of the twentieth-century version.
The Senufo kponyugu masks are both horizontal composite animal forms with long, projecting horns, a large, gaping mouth, and fearsome accoutrements such as sharp teeth and claws. Such details relate to Senufo cosmology, legends, and beliefs about the connections between certain animals and the ancestral and nature spirits that connect the living. The bright paint and overexaggerated features of the late twentieth-century version demonstrate how Senufo artists have updated this mask form over time.
Caption
Bobo. Bolo Mask, early 20th cenutry. Wood, pigment, fiber, 45 1/2 x 14 x 13 in. (115.6 x 35.6 x 33 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Gustave Schindler, 58.184. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 58.184_PS1.jpg)
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Culture
Title
Bolo Mask
Date
early 20th cenutry
Geography
Place made: Taguna region, Burkina Faso
Medium
Wood, pigment, fiber
Classification
Dimensions
45 1/2 x 14 x 13 in. (115.6 x 35.6 x 33 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Gustave Schindler
Accession Number
58.184
Rights
Creative Commons-BY
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Frequent Art Questions
What is this mask for? How does it still have hair if it is ancient?
The Bolo mask by a Bobo artist would have been worn in a performance meant to entertain the community. This performance tradition was created in the 20th century in response to a request by colonial government officials that the Bobo produce a mask for entertainment at official functions and national holidays.The horns at the top of the mask likely represent an antelope, and they reference the specific clan that would have owned this mask.I love masks like this because they illustrate that not all masks are "traditional" and masquerade is always and growing even in modern days.What is the specific fiber that is "hair" made of?
The fibers in question are natural plant fibers. Although conservation hasn't taken a sample and done microscopic fiber ID of the material conservators speculate the fibers are from the Sansevierio plant. A species of this plant is native to Africa (Sansevierio Liberica).
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