Adone Mask / head piece
Label reads," Korumba [kurumba], Birkina Faso, Antelope with brass. No nose society. Danced at end of Mourning"
Brass overlay. Cowry shell and bead decoration.
- Object: Adone Mask / head piece
- Artist: -
- Circa: -
- Dimensions: 34"H x 4"W x 12" D
- Culture Area: Africa / Burkina Faso
- Cultural Group: Kurumba
- Cultural Context: As the label says, this is a mask in the style of the Kurumba mask of the Kurumba people of the Congo. Typically worn with a raffia shoulder and arm skirt, the tall mask would be worn atop the head and attached with leather to the chin. The Antelope represents the Nioniosi origin story. It is believed that Sawadougou, the civilizing hero, descended from the sky wearing a mask. His wife and children accompanied him and were endowed with features of the antelope, hyena, and hare. Sawadougou and his family brought about the process of civilizing humanity - teaching agriculture, proverbs, wisdom, birth, death, and values and eithics. Traditionally, the Adone' mask is used in three major events during the annual cycle. Most commonly used in association with an elder's passing, masks escort the corpse to the tomb and supervise the burial on behalf of the spirits of the ancestors of the clan. In the dry season, the mask and others masks are left as a physical reminder in honor of the deceased. This ritual allows for the spirit to be free and travel to the world of the ancestors. Lastly, in late May to June, before the first rain, masks appear at collective sacrifices in which the ancestors are honored together with the spirits of the protective antelope, Hippotragus koba.
- Donor: Barbara & Hiro Narita
- Catalog #: 114.190