Bobo
Burkina FasoHelmet Mask, n.d.
On view
Wood and twine
Dimensions27 × 10 3/4 in. (68.6 × 27.3 cm)
Gift of Justice and Mrs. G. Mennen Williams, 1973.66
This Bobo mask depicts an African savannah hare. The stylized design represents the spirit of the animal. The Bobo used animal masks in harvest rituals, a central part of Bobo culture. According to Bobo tradition, the world was created as an ordering of opposing pairs in perfect balance. They believe man inherently disrupts this balance, but that it can be restored through such practices as harvest rituals.
