Senufo Helmet Crest Headdress Old African Mask w/ Stand 35" Rare Form, Lizards, Antelopes, Horses, Wear + Use Start Price USD 1,295.00 Current Price USD 1,295.00 Time Left - Bid Count 0 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Friday, July 18, 2008 End Time Wednesday, July 23, 2008 Location Santa Fe, NM See more about 'Senufo Helmet Crest Headdress Old African Mask w/ Stand' Description   Senufo Poro Helmet Crest Headdress w/ StandAntique African Mask Cote d'Ivoire     A Fine Old Senufo Helmet Crest Mask w/ Custom StandAntique African Masque - Poro Society Ritual Headdress - Cote d'Ivoire to Mali Collected from the: Senufo peoples of Cote d'Ivoire and Mali, West AfricaMaterial: Hardwood, metal museum mountPeriod: Mid 20th centuryDimensions: 35" height, 20" width, 2.5" depth on 18" x 4" stand; weight is 13.05 pounds combinedCondition: Excellent - intact and structurally sound, exposed wood present significant patination, age cracks test stable, skin oil residue along high points, lower head and horns indicative of frequent handling. Please click on the photos below to fully appreciate this splendid old piece! And be sure to see the fascinating AFRICAN MASKS in our eBay store! Or explore our stunning AFRICAN SCULPTURES! Click Images to Enlarge Senufo Poro Society Mask Traditions"This helmet crest mask combines forms and motifs known from other Senufo masks in an unusual way. Its rectangular panel recalls the kwo(n)ro headdresses that were worn until the late 1950's by members of the age group of that name at initiation rituals of the Poro Society of the Nafara, a southern Senufo group. In contrast to these plain masks, usually decorated with a monitor lizard, some specimens evince a number of stylized figures. While some of these are difficult to interpret, others clearly represent animals - possibly monitors, symbols of a nature spirit. More realistically treated are the antelope head or horns on the helmet portion. Traits of antelopes, combined with those of other animals, are also found in other Senufo masks, which likewise appear during initiation ceremonies or at funerals of members of the Poro Society. Female figures, on the other hand, are used to adorn not only the dance staffs that are the mark of the kworo age class but many dagu headdress, which in other Senufo areas are used in the same context as the kworo headdresses. A common motif is the rhinoceros bird, which is considered a mythical, primordial animal and likewise appears on masks, staffs, and in the form of freestanding figures." See Spirits Speak for further details along with a similar specimen. Senufo Tribal HistoryAn extremely large tribe, the one and a half million Senufo peoples inhabit vast areas of Cote d'Ivoire, Mali, and Burkina Faso. Primarily farmers who occasionally hunt, the Senufo villagers are governed by councils of elders, lead by elected chiefs. Men of the important Poro society reinforce tribal unity through ceremonial ritual, while they train and initiate the young tribal males from age seven and up. According to Bacquart, "Senufo theology is based on Koulotiolo, a powerful god, and Katieleo, a goddess mother, who through the rituals of the Poro society, regenerate the world. The Senufo were among the first tribal artists to be recognized and admired by the Western world. Their artistic output has been prolific - statues and masks characterized by realistic features or highly geometric shapes which emphasize rhythm and the opposition between void and full spaces." "Numerous Senufo masks are kept by the Poro society, an organization based on age grades that exerts social and political control, conveys traditional knowledge, and fulfills religious functions, especially during the elaborate furneral ceremonies." 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