Koré suruku mask, Bamana, Mali - Lot 14

Koré suruku mask, Bamana, Mali Wood, greasy shiny patina, fabric, hair Height: 54.5 cm Width 24 cm Provenance: Drouot sale, lot 75, March 23, 2001 --- Koré suruku mask, Bamana, Mali Wood, shiny and greasy patina, fabric, hair Height: Provenance: private French collection Powerful initiatory effigy of the Korè society, this suruku mask embodies the emblematic animal of hidden knowledge. Used during male rites of passage, it accompanies the metamorphosis of uncircumcised youths, symbolically "killed" and then "resurrected" as men. Like the hyena, which in Bamana cosmogony symbolizes cunning and the quest for knowledge, this mask evokes the effort and discipline required to access secret truths. Masterpieces of ritual abstraction, suruku masks are distinguished by the purity of their formal conception. This one imposes its presence through the tension of its shape, with slender, sharp lines: a pure, flat face, structured by a central axis marking a straight, protruding nose, framed by wide, triangular openings for the eyes. The half-open jaw, reduced to two parallel sides, accentuates the sculptural rigor of the whole. At the top, the two pointed ears reach skyward, framing a skull cap made of animal hair. Much more than a simple ornament, this element affirms the identity of the animal represented, reinforces the zoomorphic dimension of the effigy and embodies, in the initiatory context of the korè, the symbolic metamorphosis of the initiate and his passage towards a new identity imbued with wisdom and maturity. The deep, lustrous brown patina, with its red highlights and almost silky feel, provides a striking counterpoint to the angular rigor and geometric construction of the composition. A powerful initiatory effigy of the Korè society, this Suruku mask embodies the emblematic animal of hidden knowledge. It plays a role in male rites of passage, accompanying the transformation of uncircumcised youths who are symbolically "killed" and then "reborn" as men. Like the hyena-which, in Bamana cosmology, symbolizes cunning and the pursuit of knowledge-this mask evokes the effort and discipline required to access secret truths. Masterpieces of ritual abstraction, Suruku masks are distinguished by the purity of their formal design. This one asserts its presence through the tension of its sculpted form, with elongated, sharpened lines: a pared-down face with a flat surface, structured around a central axis marked by a prominent straight nose, flanked by large triangular eye openings. The slightly open jaw, reduced to two parallel planes, accentuates the sculptural rigor of the whole. At the top, two pointed ears stretch skyward, framing a tuft affixed to the crown of the head, made of animal hair. Far more than a mere ornament, this element affirms the identity of the represented animal, enhances the zoomorphic dimension of the effigy, and-in the initiatory context of the Korè-embodies the symbolic metamorphosis of the initiate and his passage toward a new identity imbued with wisdom and maturity. The deep, lustrous brown patina, with reddish highlights and an almost silky touch, offers a striking counterpoint to the angular rigor and geometric construction of the composition.