Deguele (helmet mask) with female figure
Senufo funerary rites are multimedia events designed to ensure the integration of the village community with its ancestors and the spiritual world. This striking vertical headdress was carved as the female counterpart to a male version. The pair of headdresses were performed at a kuumo, a final commemorative event marking the passing of all prominent men and women in a village during a set period of time. Unfolding over several days, kuumo ceremonies encompassed a range of music, dances, visual displays, and offerings. Young male initiates of the Poro civic society wore deguele headdresses as part of nocturnal masquerades. During the performance, the masked "couple" and a series of escorts encircled the village, symbolizing the continuity between living members of the community and previous generations.
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