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Puppet head
Bamana
20th century
Object Place: Mali
Medium/Technique
wood, brass tacks, glass
Dimensions
Overall: 20 x 6 x 7.5 cm (7 7/8 x 2 3/8 x 2 15/16 in.)
Base: 5.6 X 5.8 X 5.8cm
Base: 5.6 X 5.8 X 5.8cm
Credit Line
Gift of Geneviève McMillan in memory of Reba Stewart
Accession Number2009.2611
NOT ON VIEW
CollectionsContemporary Art, Africa and Oceania
ClassificationsDecorative arts
Among the many Bamana art forms is sogo bò, a puppet masquerade theater shared with the Bozo and other neighboring peoples. Animal characters appear in vigorous and colorful performances, accompanied by singing and clapping. Organized by village youth associations, whose male and female members range from age fourteen to about thirty-five, the theater's aim is entertainment, allowing young men and women to explore the moral universe and gain knowledge through play, humor, satire, and wit.
ProvenanceGeneviève McMillan (b. 1922 - d. 2008), Cambridge, MA; 2008, to the Geneviève McMillan and Reba Stewart Foundation, Cambridge; 2009, gift of the Geneviève McMillan and Reba Stewart Foundation to the MFA. (Accession Date: June 17, 2009)