Mask

Item number 3420/63 from the MOA: University of British Columbia.

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Description

Human face mask with bright pink skin, and headdress with long ends that flips out to the sides. Mask has slit eye holes cutout with black marks underneath. They have thin rounded black eyebrows, black lips, and there are four vertical black lines on the forehead and three dots on each cheek. The black lips extend into a line down the chin.

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).