Bamana, Mali Used patina wood - Height 45 cm - Early 20th century

This mask belongs to the society of the Kore which forms men and builds the male identity. The Kore succeeds the Ntomo. The Suruku mask represents the hyena, an animal considered as a symbol of knowing who taught men the secrets of the bush.

The Kore Society is one of the six societies of initiation among the Bamana people, ethnic group of West Africa mainly settled in Mali, Burkina Faso and Côte d'Ivoire. Initiation into Korah is the last phase of the teaching of adolescents to help them understand the relationship to nature and human destiny, and to build their male identity. This initiation takes place during a retreat in the bush and when the initiates return to the village, they wear masks representing the animals they embody: hyenas, lions and monkeys. 

This mask comes from a private collection that is now dispersed.