Suruku Helmet Mask
Helmet Mask
Attribution follows a published museum catalogue or peer-reviewed scholarship. Object is held in a public collection under a published accession number.
Combining animal and human traits, this example of a genre of mask called suruku, meaning “hyena,” most likely belonged to the Korè, one of six power associations that the Malinke would have adopted from their Bamana neighbors. The Korè is concerned with the circumcision and initiation of male youths into adulthood. The mask probably served as one of the symbols of the different Korè classes.
Catalogued by Cleveland Museum of Art as “Helmet Mask”, dated mid- to late 1800s. Harvested from the museum’s open-access record; every field below is copied from that record and none of it has been inferred.
Record
| People / culture | Malinke |
|---|---|
| Country | and Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, Senegal, The Gambia |
| Common name | Helmet Mask |
| Materials | Wood and probably resin |
| Dimensions | Overall: 47 cm (18 1/2 in.) |
Provenance
Léonce and Pierre Guerre by purchase (1927–1996)
(Loudmer, Arts Primitifs: Collection Pierre Guerre, Paris, June 20, 1996, Lot #5, sold to Helene and Philippe Leloup) (1996)
Helene and Philippe Leloup, given to Madame Hérica Ravel (1996–2004)
Madame Hérica Ravel, Castera Verduzan, FR, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art (2004)
The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (2004–)
| Collection | Cleveland Museum of Art |
|---|---|
| Accession number | 2004.84 |
Source
https://clevelandart.org/art/2004.84
This record is a catalogue entry, not an appraisal, valuation or legal determination. Nothing here should be read as evidence that an object was lawfully acquired or exported.