Mask Item Number: 3420/60 from the MOA: University of British Columbia

Description

Animal (primate) mask, carved and painted black. Animal with a long snout, flat nose, large mouth baring teeth, yellow eyes, raised eyebrows, deep eye sockets, and large rounded ears on the side of the head.

History Of Use

Sogo bò, a multi-media spectacle of masquerades, puppetry, drumming and song, was originally practiced by Bozo fishing communities--until the mid-nineteenth century when it was adopted by the Bamana blacksmith guild. The animal masks mainly depict those classified as 'sogofin', dark, powerful creatures such as monkeys, hyenas, lions, wild cats, antelopes, hippopotami, and elephants, those which are heavily infused with 'nyama' (life-force).