Additional information
| Primary Materials | |
|---|---|
| Materials | |
| Regions | |
| Ethnic Groups |
Bolon Helmet Mask
This helmet mask was collected by Thomas McNemar in a Bolon village cluster near Teoule, Upper Volta between 1962 and 1964. It was published in Mr. McNemar’s private gallery produced portfolio of 1966. It relates to a mask in the de Young Museum, San Francisco and published in Nooter and Roberts’ The Shape of Belief: African Art from the Dr. Michael R. Heide Collection, 1996. The de Young mask is listed as a “dagu” mask from the northern Senufo. Since Mr. McNemar’s is a first hand account and there is no reason to doubt his word, I will defer to him. The mask has Senufo qualities to be sure (see Goldwater, plate 73) but the Janus facial renderings are strongly voltaic. Both horns are guaranteed original but have been re-attached. The python skin which formerly encircled the rim has all but disintegrated. 14.5″ tall.
