The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of April 16, 2024

Mask (n'tomo)

Mask (n'tomo)

c. 1930
Wood, aluminum, copper alloy, animal hair, and steel
Overall: 62.2 x 23 x 15.3 cm (24 1/2 x 9 1/16 x 6 in.)
Andrew R. and Martha Holden Jennings Fund 1994.14
Location: 108A Sub-Saharan

Description

Malinke is the term used for Islamic Bamana speakers in Mali. Although Muslim, the Malinke have retained traditional initiation societies responsible for training boys to fulfill their adult roles. Masking performances and other techniques are used to instill self-awareness, discipline, and sacred knowledge in young men. Aluminum, which first became available with the advent of airplanes, enriches the mask’s surface with cut and stamped geometric shapes.
  • ?–1995
    (Bellas Artes Gallery, Santa Fe, NM, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art
    1995–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Cleveland Museum of Art, “Recent Acquisitions to the Cleveland Museum of Art Collection,” August 26, 1994, Cleveland Museum of Art Archives. archive.org
    Petridis, Constantine, "Celebrating Bamanaya", Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland Art: The Cleveland Museum of Art Members Magazine. Vol. 46 no. 02, February 2006 Mentioned & reproduced: p. 8-9 archive.org
  • {{cite web|title=Mask (n'tomo)|url=false|author=|year=c. 1930|access-date=16 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1994.14