Description
An important and very ancient Koma su anthropo-zoomorphic mask, a male mask of the Koma, which became a sacrificial altar, the skull covered by an important "load" made up of horns and other sacrificial elements. In the same way as among the Bambara in Kono society, large masks representing a kind of bird-man, after having danced a great number of times and having proved their effectiveness in fighting witchcraft, become sacrificial altars. This specimen, which is one of the most beautiful masks in the corpus, shows an exceptional patina on the inside of the helmet, attesting to its many uses and great antiquity. For an exceptional example of a koma ba mask (female counterpart of the koma su mask) in the Arman Collection, see : Arman et l'art africain, Éd. R.M.N., 1996, p. 134, n° 107. Maou (or Toura), Ivory Coast or Guinea Wood, horns, iron, and various sacrificial elements, very beautiful and old patina of use. H. 76 cm Provenance : Anne and Jacques Kerchache Collection. Exhibition and publications : - Pierre Bergé & Associés sale, June 13, 2010, lot 290. - Reproduced in L'Art Africain, Éd. Citadelles & Mazenod, 1988, p. 383, n° 364.
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An important and very ancient Koma su anthropo-zoomorphic mask, a male mask of the Koma, which became a sacrificial altar, the skull covered by an important "load" made up of horns and other sacrificial elements. In the same way as among the Bambara in Kono society, large masks representing a kind of bird-man, after having danced a great number of times and having proved their effectiveness in fighting witchcraft, become sacrificial altars. This specimen, which is one of the most beautiful masks in the corpus, shows an exceptional patina on the inside of the helmet, attesting to its many uses and great antiquity. For an exceptional example of a koma ba mask (female counterpart of the koma su mask) in the Arman Collection, see : Arman et l'art africain, Éd. R.M.N., 1996, p. 134, n° 107. Maou (or Toura), Ivory Coast or Guinea Wood, horns, iron, and various sacrificial elements, very beautiful and old patina of use. H. 76 cm Provenance : Anne and Jacques Kerchache Collection. Exhibition and publications : - Pierre Bergé & Associés sale, June 13, 2010, lot 290. - Reproduced in L'Art Africain, Éd. Citadelles & Mazenod, 1988, p. 383, n° 364.
