Mask Item Number: 3420/62 from the MOA: University of British Columbia

Description

Human face mask with bright yellow skin, and long straight black hair. Mask has half-closed with eye holes cutout underneath. They have thin rounded black eyebrows, black lips, and there are three vertical black lines on the forehead and a line extending down the chin from the lips.

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).