ticketsMember | Make a donation

Maani (marionette) of a male figure

Mid-20th century
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 341
Along the Niger and Bani rivers in the region of Segou, the former capital of the Bamana kingdom, performances with brightly painted and costumed puppets are staged by the village youth association. Although today Bamana farmers and Bozo fishermen participate together in these performances, oral tradition holds that the puppet theater originated among the Bozo, descendants of the Soninke rulers of the medieval Ghana Empire and perhaps the original inhabitants of the area.

For the puppet performances a small mobile stage is covered with cloths or grasses concealing the men inside, who move the stage across the dance area. Fitted in front with a wooden animal head with articulated jaws, the stage is itself a large puppet. In addition small carved heads or figures with movable limbs poke out from the top and are made to twirl and dance. Sometimes men wearing face or helmet masks perform alongside the puppets. The puppets and masks depict animals, fantastic creatures, and characters from village life-the farmer, the soldier, the mother, and so forth. Through the movements of the puppets and the songs that accompany them, the youth association is able to comment on the social and political life of the community.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Maani (marionette) of a male figure
  • Artist: Bamana numu (blacksmith)
  • Date: Mid-20th century
  • Geography: Mali, Segu region
  • Culture: Bamana or Bozo peoples
  • Medium: Wood, cloth, copper alloy, iron, pigment
  • Dimensions: H. 34 in. × W. 13 1/4 in. × D. 9 in. (86.4 × 33.7 × 22.9 cm)
  • Classification: Wood-Sculpture
  • Credit Line: The Michael C. Rockefeller Memorial Collection, Bequest of Nelson A. Rockefeller, 1979
  • Object Number: 1979.206.52
  • Curatorial Department: The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing

Audio

Cover Image for 1112. Kids: Marionette: Male Figure (Merekun), Part

1112. Kids: Marionette: Male Figure (Merekun), Part

0:00
0:00
We're sorry, the transcript for this audio track is not available at this time. Please email info@metmuseum.org to request a transcript for this track.

    Listen to more about this artwork

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Sogoni koun headdress, Bamana numu (blacksmith), Wood, Bamana peoples
Sogoni koun headdress
Bamana numu (blacksmith)
Late 19th–early 20th century
Ci wara headdress, Bamana numu (blacksmith), Wood, metal, Bamana
Ci wara headdress
Bamana numu (blacksmith)
19th century
Jomogoni male figure, Bamana numu (blacksmith), Wood, Bamana peoples
Jomogoni male figure
Bamana numu (blacksmith)
15th–17th century
Konomani (little pregnant one), Bamana numu (blacksmith), Wood, Bamana peoples
Konomani (little pregnant one)
Bamana numu (blacksmith)
17th–mid-20th century
Jomogoni female figure, Bamana numu (blacksmith), Wood, Bamana peoples
Jomogoni female figure
Bamana numu (blacksmith)
15th–17th century

Related Content

Perspectives

Articles, audio, and video from The Met's online magazine.

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.