Bolo Helmet Mask with Bearded Figure

Origin: Bobo Tribe, Burkina Faso
Composition: wood, lacquer/paint, foam, nails

The Bobo carve helmet masks like this to serve as popular entertainment masks at performances that are open to the public. Although not the tribe's most sacred masks, bolo masks are still much appreciated by the community when they perform at initiations, harvest festivals, and other celebrations. Their performance is extremely athletic, with the mask spinning wildly around and around, leaping high into the air as the strands of the fiver costume fly outward (Roy, "Land of the Flying Masks).

This authentic piece shows signs of age, repair, and use, including internal foam (a contemporary addition) to pad the dancer's head. The artistic influence of the nearby Dogon tribe is quite apparent, and makes this mask quite unique and interesting.

Please contact us to inquire about this piece at (415) 362-6601 or info@sujaro.com.