Mask

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

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Credit line
Gift of Walker Art Center and the T.B. Walker Foundation, 2006

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