Kòmò Helmet Mask (Kòmòkun)

19th–mid-20th century

Not on view

Leaders of the kòmò power association commission blacksmith-sculptors to carve wooden helmet masks for them. Regarded for their abilities to transform materials and fashion objects in metal and wood, the artists use several tools to convert a single piece of wood into the image of a fearsome creature's head with wide, gaping jaws. Animal horns, bird skull, porcupine quills, feathers, bundles, and a thick grayish coating cover the head of kòmò, or kòmòkun, shown here. In the competitive realm of power associations, where each expert seeks to distinguish himself from his colleagues and advertise his skills, kòmòkunw (plural) vary to reflect the unique knowledge that their owners garner through exchange and experience. Terrifying forms and potentially harmful materials contribute to the awesome power that the helmet masks express.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

Exhibition History

Title: Kòmò Helmet Mask (Kòmòkun)
Date: 19th–mid-20th century
Geography: Guinea or Mali or Burkina Faso or Côte d'Ivoire, West Africa
Culture: Komo or Koma Power Association
Medium: Wood, bird skull, porcupine quills, horns, nails, cotton, sacrificial material
Dimensions: H. 21 5/8 x W. 12 3/4 x D. 28 7/8in. (54.9 x 32.4 x 73.3cm)
Classification: Wood-Sculpture
Credit Line: The Michael C. Rockefeller Memorial Collection, Bequest of Nelson A. Rockefeller, 1979
Object Number: 1979.206.124
Curatorial Department: The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing

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Kòmòkun or kònòkun (head of Kòmò or Kònò) helmet mask, Bamana or Senufo blacksmith, Wood, bird skull, porcupine quills, horns, cotton cords, iron, plant fiber, applied organic materials, Bamana or Senufo peoples — Kòmòkun or kònòkun (head of Kòmò or Kònò) helmet mask
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19th–mid-20th century

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Kòmò Helmet Mask (Kòmòkun), Wood, encrustation, quills, feathers, horns, bird skull, Komo or Koma Power Association — Kòmò Helmet Mask (Kòmòkun)
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a-Mantsho-ña-Tshol (master of medicine) headdress, Baga artist, Wood (Pterocarpus erinaceus), pigment, Baga peoples — a-Mantsho-ña-Tshol (master of medicine) headdress
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a-Bil-ña-Tshol (medicine canoe) headdress, Baga artist, Wood, pigment, Baga peoples — a-Bil-ña-Tshol (medicine canoe) headdress
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