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Land Baden-Württemberg, Ministerium für Wissenschaft, Forschung und Kunst | Foto: Axel Killian
Mask
Helmet mask depicting a lioness, 1980 - 1987
About the object
Helmet mask in the shape of a lion's head, carved from a single piece of pale-coloured wood and brightly painted. Representation of the diara, i.e. the lion's wife, here as a diaraba, i.e. a large lioness, as a symbol of a strong animal that attacks the weaker ones.
The mask belongs to the sogo bò, a puppet and mask theatre that is still active today in the villages of the Segou region in southern Mali among the Bozo and Sòmonò fishing peoples, as well as the Bamana, Marka and Maninka peasant and trader peoples. The Bamana adopted it from the neighbouring Bozo people in the 19th century. The performances are ritualised, instructional and entertaining in essence. In the past, they were connected with the initiation of young men and today they are staged on various occasions. Themes from traditional mythology as well as sketches from everyday life are performed. The animal figures that appear are anthropomorphic allegories. Sogo bò means "wild animals come forth". In the past, representations of wild animals predominated in the cast of characters, indicative of the erstwhile importance of hunting and hunters in society. Author: Eva Gerhards