Female Face Mask
Bamana
1875–1925
- Medium
- Wood, copper, and indigo
- Dimensions
- 28 × 14 × 10.8 cm (11 × 5 1/2 × 4 1/4 in.)
- Genre
- masks
- Museum
- Art Institute of Chicago
Styles
Tags
bamanawoodceremonial maskindigocopperMaidenfemalespainting (image making)Northern Africa and the Sahelmaskspeopleheaddress - miscmasqueradewood (plant material)african Artarts of Africacarvingmetalworkingmarkasorogosegou
About
Variously attributed to the culturally related Bamana, Marka, or Sorogo peoples, this small mask with its striking indigo-blue color and decorative copper strips shows signs of intense usage. It depicts a beautiful and alluring Fulani maiden named Meren, a popular character in entertainment performances sponsored by youth associations among the Bamana and their related neighbors. The Fulani are a large group of Islamic nomadic merchants and pastoralists that ranges widely over West Africa.
