Mask
- Gallery: Room 25
- Made in: Mali
- Date: 20thC(early)
- Object type: mask
- Materials: wood
- Museum number: Af1956,27.5
- Museum: The British Museum
- Collection record: British Museum website
- Image © The Trustees of the British Museum, shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence.
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About this object
This wooden mask, shaped like a human face, is adorned with horns and the carved head of an antelope. Carved from a single piece of hardwood and painted black, intricate striated markings decorate the stylized face.
Belonging to the Bamana people of Mali, this is a ceremonial mask used by young men in the N'tomo society. The mask has six comb-like projections above it—each symbolizing one of the eight primordial seeds created by God in Bamana tradition.
Notably, the number six, being a multiple of two, is associated with femininity in Bamana numerology. That makes this mask special, as it represents a feminine identity within its ritual.
Carved in the early 20th century, the piece reflects the Segu district style. It was donated in 1956 as part of a collection formed by American collectors in Europe.
See it in person
Mask is on display in Room 25 at the British Museum on Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury, London — free to enter. Choose British Museum on audioguide.london and take a photo of it to hear this free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
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