Suruku Hyena Mask

Origin: Bamana Tribe, Mali
Composition: wood, pigment, rope, metal staples

For the most part, Bamana society is structured around six male initiation societies known as the Dyow, and the Koré society is the final stage of initiation. Members of the Koré society are considered highly accomplished men, as many Bamana tribesmen spend much of their life attaining this rank.

This zoomorphic composite mask depicts a hyena, who represents supernatural knowledge. In Bamana, "Suruku" literally means "the hyena of Koré." The large open mouth supposedly refers to the hyena's power of speech. Upon graduation into this highest initiation society, the initiates are symbolically killed by the Koré, and are reborn into adulthood, where they renounce the privileges of childhood (Ref: Bacquart, "The Tribal Arts of Africa"; Colleyn, "The Art of Existence in Mali").

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