Bamana Hyena Mask for the Kore Society, Mali

Private Collection, France

Musée d'Archéologie et d'Histoire, Le Mans, Masques d'Afrique, May 12 - August 29, 2010

Hélène Joubert and Marceau Rivière, Masques d'Afrique, Le Mans, 2010, p. 43, cat. 37

Very good condition for an object of this type and age. Minor nicks, scratches, and wear consistent with age and use. Hairline age cracks. One age crack near base of proper right ear with very small opening. Old chip to bottom of mouth. Exceptionally fine blackened lustrous patina with residue. Two holes in top back rim from a previous mounting.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Among the Bamana, the six initiation societies called jow are of profound social significance. "The completion of intellectual and spiritual education offered by these societies takes place within the final one, the kore. Here each adolescent man has to pass through specific rituals in order to enter into manhood. The kore society comprises eight classes or grades, each with a different level of initiation and having its own emblem" (van Damme in Kooten and Heuvel 1990: 42). The hyena (suruku) is the emblem of one of these classes and represents greed and insatiableness. As van Damme (loc. cit.) explains, this symbolizes "the limited, day-to-day human knowledge far removed from divine wisdom. He who wishes to attain this wisdom - and this is the goal of the initiated - should be equipped with self-knowledge and self-control [...] and willing to devote [himself] to the search for true wisdom."