Description
Among the Senufo, poro is the generic name for age-grade associations whose functions include interceding with supernatural forces, honoring ancestors, and educating young people. The many elements of composite horizontal masks called kponyungo portray powerful spirits that escort the deceased to the other world and protect the community from supernatural danger. Expressing its potency in that realm, this mask’s animal references include a crocodile’s jaw, a hyena’s snout, and horns of both a ram and an antelope.
Provenance
Henri (died 1992) and Hélène (ex-Kamer) Leloup, Henri A. Kamer Gallery, New York, N.Y., by 1963 [in Senfuo Sculpture from West Africa, 1963, cat. 34, listed as Collection Mr. and Mrs. Henri A. Kamer, New York]; sold to the Art Institute, Nov. 1963.
Accession Number
18759
Medium
Wood and pigment
Dimensions
27.9 × 27.3 × 102.9 cm (11 × 10 3/4 × 40 1/2 in.)
Classification
masks
Credit Line
The Art Institute of Chicago, African and Amerindian Art Purchase Fund