“Ntomo” mask with seven teeth - Bamana population, Mali, 1930-1940

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“Ntomo” mask with seven teeth - Bamana population, Mali, 1930-1940

Name: “Ntomo” mask with seven teeth - Bamana population, Mali, 1930-1940
Brand: Antikeo
SKU: 20J8WENMO3
Price: 2500 EUR
Availability: InStock

By Gallery Avant-Garde Gallery

2.500 €

Period 20th century

Style Tribal Art

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From: 75008, Paris, France

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Item offered for sale by

Avant-Garde Gallery

75008 Paris

Display phone number +33 6 11 18 12 56

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Description

This description has been translated and may not be completely accurate. Click here to see the original

The Ntomo mask is used during initiation rituals in West Africa. It is identifiable by its horns, which range from three to eight. The Bamana, also known as the Bambara, live in Mali, Guinea, and Côte d'Ivoire, sharing a common language and traditions.

These rituals, reserved for adolescents aged 6 to 13, are led by blacksmiths, the only ones capable of carving these sacred masks due to their mastery of "nyama," a dangerous spiritual energy. Each mask is created under the guidance of a djinn, and the horns symbolize its gender: three or six horns for a male mask, four or eight for a female, and two, five, or seven for an androgynous mask. The mask presented here, with seven horns, is androgynous, while the other mask we have, with four horns, is female.

Ségou region, Mali.
Wood, cowrie shells, reptile skin.
Dimensions: H : 61.5 cm / H : 24.02 inches.

Ref: 20J8WENMO3

Additional Information

Condition	Good
Ethnic group	Bamana
Style	Tribal Art (African Masks of Tribal Art Style)
Period	20th century (African Masks 20th century)
Country of origin	Mali
Height (cm)	62
Materials	Wood, Shell
Internal reference	342