Komo Kun
Bamana, Mali
20th Century
Feathers, quills, horns and encrustation
24" high
(Photo from Johnson Museum of Art, Cornell University)
The Komo is a society mask that is used in initiations presented at the society’s altar. The masked dancers wear the Komo on their heads to express the power of the materials used to make the mask. It consists of materials such as bird feathers, quills, fibers, animal hair, and antelope horns. The mask is made to look like an animal, although it is really not.[1]The mouth of the Komo is similar to that of a hyena’s jaw, which represents the animal’s power and force, seen as a symbol of knowledge. When all of these materials are added, the Komo is complete and is empowered to ward off evil.[2]The purpose of the initiation for the boys of the Bamana culture is to reveal their knowledge and personal qualities. The Komo is used in a spiritual way and represents power because of the accumulation of all the materials that are used.
[1] Monica Blackmun Visona, Robin Poynor, and Herbert M. Cole: A History of Art in Africa 2nd Edition (Upper Saddle River, N.J: Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2008, 121.
[2]Hope B. Werness, The Continuum Encyclopedia of Animal Symbolism in Art (New York: Continuum, 2004), 232.
20th Century
Feathers, quills, horns and encrustation
24" high
(Photo from Johnson Museum of Art, Cornell University)
The Komo is a society mask that is used in initiations presented at the society’s altar. The masked dancers wear the Komo on their heads to express the power of the materials used to make the mask. It consists of materials such as bird feathers, quills, fibers, animal hair, and antelope horns. The mask is made to look like an animal, although it is really not.[1]The mouth of the Komo is similar to that of a hyena’s jaw, which represents the animal’s power and force, seen as a symbol of knowledge. When all of these materials are added, the Komo is complete and is empowered to ward off evil.[2]The purpose of the initiation for the boys of the Bamana culture is to reveal their knowledge and personal qualities. The Komo is used in a spiritual way and represents power because of the accumulation of all the materials that are used.
[1] Monica Blackmun Visona, Robin Poynor, and Herbert M. Cole: A History of Art in Africa 2nd Edition (Upper Saddle River, N.J: Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2008, 121.
[2]Hope B. Werness, The Continuum Encyclopedia of Animal Symbolism in Art (New York: Continuum, 2004), 232.
Boli (Altar)
Bamana, Mali
20th Century
Wood, bark, clay, blood congloerate
26" High
Ritual/Ceremonial object
(Photo from Los Angelos County Museum of Art)
The Boli is the most powerful item possessed by a jo, which is a maternity figure. It is made up of several layers of mysterious materials such as animal bones, honey, metal, bamboo, mud, and clay. Recipes exist to create the Boli and each of its different layers.[1] With every layer that is added, the spiritual power of the Boli increases. There is a hollow channel that runs from the mouth of the Boli to the end, which is used for ritual pouring of libations, such as a blood sacrifice. The liquid is an offering to a spirit or a god and activates the Boli by being spiritually charged. Controlling the nyama, a naturally occurring life force, is the primary function of a Boli for the spiritual benefit of the community.[2]
[1]James S Coleman, "African Arts, 1967-2005," No. 4 (Winter, 2005): 14.
[2] Monica Blackmun Visona, Robin Poynor, and Herbert M. Cole: A History of Art in Africa 2nd Edition (Upper Saddle River, N.J: Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2008, 119.
20th Century
Wood, bark, clay, blood congloerate
26" High
Ritual/Ceremonial object
(Photo from Los Angelos County Museum of Art)
The Boli is the most powerful item possessed by a jo, which is a maternity figure. It is made up of several layers of mysterious materials such as animal bones, honey, metal, bamboo, mud, and clay. Recipes exist to create the Boli and each of its different layers.[1] With every layer that is added, the spiritual power of the Boli increases. There is a hollow channel that runs from the mouth of the Boli to the end, which is used for ritual pouring of libations, such as a blood sacrifice. The liquid is an offering to a spirit or a god and activates the Boli by being spiritually charged. Controlling the nyama, a naturally occurring life force, is the primary function of a Boli for the spiritual benefit of the community.[2]
[1]James S Coleman, "African Arts, 1967-2005," No. 4 (Winter, 2005): 14.
[2] Monica Blackmun Visona, Robin Poynor, and Herbert M. Cole: A History of Art in Africa 2nd Edition (Upper Saddle River, N.J: Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2008, 119.