
Minneapolis Institute of Art
Mask
Senufo artistLinkedCulture matchlcp-87c9e25cce23
- Date
- first half of 20th century
- Medium
- Wood, pigment, metal
- Culture
- Senufo
- Department
- Arts of Global Africa
- Institution
- Minneapolis Institute of Art
- Object ID
- 99730
From the Minneapolis Institute of Art record
This mask is a “firespitter.” The wearer places dried grasses and glowing chips of wood in the mouth and blows on them, usually in nighttime performances when the effect is most dramatic. Get closer to the mask and you’ll see an assortment of devouring jaws, dagger-like tusks, and multiple horns. The mask is meant to evoke the terror of sorcery while also conveying the kind of supernatural warfare it takes to protect the community from ill-intentioned people. Senufo, Côte d'Ivoire, Africa
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Provenance & credit
As published by the source institution. Coverage varies — not every institution's open-data feed includes ownership history.
- Credit line
- Gift of Walker Art Center and the T.B. Walker Foundation, 2006
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