, ,

Ramman Mask

TITLE: Ramman Mask
TYPE: face mask
GENERAL REGION: Asia
COUNTRY: India
SUBREGION: Uttarakhand
ETHNICITY: Garhwal
DESCRIPTION: Ramman Mask
CATALOG ID: N/A
MAKER: N/A
CEREMONY: Ramman Festival of Bhumiyal Devta
FUNCTION: Agriculture; Celebration; Entertainment
AGE: N/A
MAIN MATERIAL: Bhoj (Betula utilis) wood
OTHER MATERIALS: N/A

Every year in late April, the twin villages of Saloor-Dungra in Uttarakhand celebrate Ramman, a religious festival in honour of the patron god, Bhumiyal Devta, a local Hindu divinity. This ceremony includes the recitation of parts of the Ramayana and various legends, and the performance of songs and masked dances. The Bhandaris, representing locals of the Kshatriya caste, are alone entitled to wear one of the most sacred masks, that of the half-man, half-lion Hindu deity, Narasimha. The family that hosts Bhumiyal Devta during the year must adhere to a strict daily routine. Other masked figures include other deities and characters from the Ramayana.

The Museum’s collection does not currently include a representative example of a Ramman mask.

: /by
, ,

Asaro Mudmen Mask

TITLE: Asaro Mudmen Mask
TYPE: helmet mask
GENERAL REGION: Oceania
COUNTRY: Papua New Guinea
SUBREGION: Eastern Highlands
ETHNICITY: Melanesian (Asaro)
DESCRIPTION: Mudmen (Holosa) Mask
CATALOG ID: N/A
MAKER: N/A
CEREMONY: Holosa
FUNCTION: Entertainment; Protection/Purification
AGE: N/A
MAIN MATERIAL: clay
OTHER MATERIALS: N/A

The holosa or mudmen ritual of the Asaro people tells the story of an historical battle in which the Asaro people emerged victorious after emerging from the Asaro River covered in mud and appearing to their enemies as spirits, causing the enemies to flee. The masks are sculpted by each wearer and left to dry in the eaves of their houses. As a result, they are relatively soft (unfired) and brittle.

The Museum’s collection does not currently include a representative example of a holosa mask.

: /by
, ,

Angas Helmet Mask

TITLE: Angas Helmet Mask
TYPE: helmet mask
GENERAL REGION: Africa
COUNTRY: Nigeria
ETHNICITY: Angas (Ngass)
DESCRIPTION: helmet-form dance mask
CATALOG ID: N/A
MAKER: N/A
FUNCTION: Adult Initiation; Agriculture/Hunting; Secret Society
AGE: N/A
MAIN MATERIAL: woven vegetable fiber
OTHER MATERIALS: abrus seeds; animal hair; thread; cotton balls

The Angas, or Ngass, people of northeastern Nigeria have a secret men’s society charged with performing dance rituals for male adult initiation, usually at harvest time. The dance is intended to ensure a prolific harvest and to teach young men the rituals of adulthood.

The Museum currently has no representative example of any Angas mask in its collection.

: /by
, , ,

Dogon Peul Mask

TITLE: Dogon Peul Mask
TYPE: hood mask
GENERAL REGION: Africa
COUNTRY: Mali
ETHNICITY: Dogon
DESCRIPTION: Peul (female Peul tribe member) mask
CATALOG ID: N/A
MAKER: N/A
FUNCTION: Funerary; Protection/Purification; Spirit Invocation; Secret Society
AGE: N/A
MAIN MATERIAL: cloth
OTHER MATERIALS: rope; cowrie shells; thread

The Dogon people of Mali have many mask forms, primarily used by secret societies in funerary rituals to purify the village and protect it from ancestor spirits. The peul mask is a cloth hood mask that has a unique coiffure and eye holes. It is typically decorated with cowrie shells and glass trade beads to simulate a woman of the neighboring peul ethnicity.

Peul masks are rare, and the Museum currently has no representative example in its collection.

: /by
, , ,

Baga Basonyi Mask

TITLE: Baga Basonyi Mask
TYPE: crest mask
GENERAL REGION: Africa
COUNTRY: Rep. of Guinea
ETHNICITY: Baga
DESCRIPTION: Basonyi (snake spirit) mask
CATALOG ID: N/A
MAKER: N/A
FUNCTION: Adult Initiation; Protection/Purification; Spirit Invocation; Secret Society
AGE: N/A
MAIN MATERIAL: wood
OTHER MATERIALS: kaolin clay

The snake masks of the Baga people are used in pairs during adult initiation rituals for boys. The basonyi, also called kalimbe, represent male and female spirits that act as the protectors of young male initiates. They engage in a mock duel at the beginning of the ceremony to demonstrate their strength and protect the village. These masks are worn on the head, attached to a scaffolding, with the body of the dancer covered in palm leaves and cloth. The masks can sometimes reach 3 meters tall.

The Museum currently has no Basonyi mask in its collection.

: /by
, ,

Bembe Elanda Mask

TITLE: Bembe Elanda Mask
TYPE: face mask
GENERAL REGION: Africa
COUNTRY: Dem. Rep. of Congo
ETHNICITY: Bembe
DESCRIPTION: Elanda mask
CATALOG ID: N/A
MAKER: N/A
CEREMONY: Elanda Society Dance
FUNCTION: Adult Initiation; Spirit Invocation; Secret Society
AGE: N/A
MAIN MATERIAL: wood
OTHER MATERIALS: N/A

The Bembe people of the Democratic Republic of Congo have multiple associations, one of which is the all-male Elanda Society. The Elanda Society can be joined only by those men willing to undertake complex initiation rituals. Elanda masks typically have horns, large ears, or other animal characteristics to invoke bush spirits, as well as multiple sets of eyes.

The Museum currently has no Elanda mask in its collection.

: /by
, , ,

Mossi Sukomse Mask

TITLE: Mossi Sukomse Mask
TYPE: crest mask
GENERAL REGION: Africa
COUNTRY: Burkina Faso
ETHNICITY: Mossi
DESCRIPTION: Sukomse Wan-Nyaka crest mask
CATALOG ID: N/A
MAKER: N/A
CEREMONY: Sukomse Dance
FUNCTION: Adult Initiation; Funeral; Spirit Invocation; Secret Society
AGE: N/A
MAIN MATERIAL: wood
OTHER MATERIALS: kaolin; pigment

The Mossi people living in the southwestern part of Burkina Faso use the sukomse crest mask in adult initiation rituals for boys and at the funerals of important tribe members. The mask invokes a bush spirit with characteristics of multiple animals, including the antelope and bird, with the head and remainder of the body covered by a dark vegetable fiber suit. The Sukomse Society organizes these dances, which are maintained in the strictest secrecy.

The Museum currently has no sukomse mask in its collection.

: /by
, , ,

Bwa Nwantantay Mask

TITLE: Bwa Nwantantay Mask
TYPE: plank mask
GENERAL REGION: Africa
COUNTRY: Burkina Faso
ETHNICITY: Bwa
DESCRIPTION: Nwantantay plank mask
CATALOG ID: N/A
MAKER: N/A
CEREMONY: Nwantantay
FUNCTION: Adult Initiation; Agricultural; Funeral
AGE: N/A
MAIN MATERIAL: wood
OTHER MATERIALS: kaolin; pigment

The Bwa people inhabit the Black Volta River region of Burkina Faso. Their masks are used by secret societies in adult initiation rituals, to celebrate important agricultural events, and to escort the souls of the dead to the next world. Bwa masks have a distinctive look, with geometric patterns predominating, and large concentric circles for eyes, to represent the vigilance of the spirit represented by the mask (reminiscent of the owl). The geometric striations are symbolic representations of important abstract moral principles.

Bwa plank masks such as this one are frequently extraordinarily large and heavy. This mask is nearly six feet (1.8 meters) tall. The masquerader typically wears a suit of thick raffia fiber, covering the entire body in a bushy heap.  Unlike a secret society masks, the Bwa masks are owned by specific families and can be danced by anyone.

The Museum currently has no nwantantay mask in its collection.

: /by
, , ,

Carochos Mask

TITLE: Carochos Mask
TYPE: face mask
GENERAL REGION: Europe
COUNTRY: Spain
SUBREGION: Castilla y León
ETHNICITY: Spanish (Iberian)
DESCRIPTION: Carochos Mask
CATALOG ID: N/A
MAKER: N/A
CEREMONY: Fiesta del los Carochos
FUNCTION: Adult Initiation; Celebration; Protection/Purification; Secret Society
AGE: N/A
MAIN MATERIAL: cork
OTHER MATERIALS: N/A

The Fiesta de los Carochos is a tradition of the Zamora region of Spain, specifically the town of Riofrío de Aliste, where the festival is held every year around the winter solstice (between December 25 and January 6). The festival is organized by a group of young men who belong to a ritual society.

There are two carochos in leather masks, and ten other characters. One carocho (the Carocho Grande, or Big Carocho) wears a flat mask made of cork with large tusks (caneros), surrounded by hair and topped with horns, and he carries a giant pair of extendable pincers. On his head is a censor burning incense to createa trail of smoke. His costume is a hairy coat and leggings, with cowbells on his belt. The Carocho Chiquito (little Carocho) wears no mask, but his costume is covered in brambles, and he carries two lit pieces of cork to add more smoke. The other characters are the gallant, the madam and her child (the three of whom represent fertility and are supposed to keep the carochos under control); the drummer; the cerradon who carries a goatskin bag (cerrón) to hold the Christmas money; the linen man or poor man, who carries a shepherd’s crook and a load of flax; the blind man; the molacillo (little soldier) carrying a spear, who guides the blind man; the gypsy, who dresses outlandishly and carries a whip; and the filandorra (spinning woman), who wears colorful clothes and carries a spinning wheel.

During the festival, the streets are flooded with smoke from the carochos. After obtaining permission from the mayor and town priest to commence the ritual, they run through town screaming, and at each house, they request a Christmas donation (aguinaldo) of spicy sausage (chorizo). Meanwhile, the other characters perform a kind of dance-drama, getting into fights with each other, distributing sweets to children, and dancing.

The Museum’s collection does not include a representative Carocho mask, as only one is used in the festival.

: /by
, ,

Zangarrón Mask

TITLE: Zangarrón Mask
TYPE: face mask
GENERAL REGION: Europe
COUNTRY: Spain
SUBREGION: Castilla y León
ETHNICITY: Spanish (Iberian)
DESCRIPTION: Zangarrón Mask
CATALOG ID: N/A
MAKER: N/A
CEREMONY: Fiesta del Zangarrón
FUNCTION: Adult Initiation; Celebration; Protection/Purification
AGE: N/A
MAIN MATERIAL: leather
OTHER MATERIALS: N/A

The Fiesta del Zangarrón is a tradition of the Zamora region of Spain, specifically the town of Sanzoles del Vino, where the festival is held every year around Christmas time (December 25).

The Zangarrón wears a circular mask of red or black leather, which is very large and must generally be held on the face, and a colorful suit with ribbons and cowbells. He also carries a staff or pitchfork to which three inflated pig bladders are tied. The function of Zangarrón is to drive away evil spirits. The festival begins with the Zangarrón, who is not yet masked, guarding a group of dancers with a drummer. The dancers are teenagers reaching the age of majority that year. If anyone tries to break into the dance, the Zangarrón attacks them with a whip.

The next day, the Zangarrón dons the characteristic costume and mask, and the image of the patron saint of Sanzoles, San Estéban, taken in procession around the Plaza Mayor accompanied by the dancers. A group of attackers is assigned to harass the procession, making noise with cowbells. The Zangarrón drives them away to allow the procession to continue. Afterward, the dancers and Zangarrón separate, with the dancers going door-to-door wishing each occupant a happy Easter (though it is months away), while the Zangarrón goes to other houses and silently presents a sack in which each villager is expected to deposit an aguinaldo (monetary Christmas present). They then celebrate with a communal meal that must be held silently. Finally, hte Zangarrón takes a final tour of the village, presenting his sack to all bars and cafés.

The Museum’s collection does not include a representative Zangarrón mask, as only one is used in Sanzoles.

: /by