Provenance:
Morris Pinto, Paris
Zoomorphic Senufo helmet masks called kyponyungo are used by members of the Poro secret society in initiation and funerary ceremonies.
Poro is a complex initiation cycle taking over twenty years to complete. It is a demanding preparation for male leadership, but one that also includes female participation in the first stages that lead to the "rebirth" of both male and female initiates (the "pombibele" or "children of Poro.")
At funerals, these helmet masks are worn by senior initiates. Yet only a few initiates and elders are the mask caretakers and know the ritual secrets that empower it to protect members from the hidden dangers of sorcery directed against the community.
Kponyungo helmet masks – an elaborate assemblage of animal features — are rich in meaning and symbolism. The devouring jaws of the hyena, the lance-sharp horns of the antelope, and the dagger-like thrust of warthog tusks are all emblematic of defensive weaponry of a supernatural kind. (One meaning of kpo is to kill; nyungo here means "head" or helmet mask).
The antelope horns also signify ethnic identity, express cultural pride in the roles and rights of cultivators in Senufo history, and allude to a mythic association with cultivators and Hunter-Founder heroes. This symbolism is shared by related western Sudanic peoples such as the Dogon, Bwa, and Bamana.
The hornbill and the chameleon depicted on the crest evoke two primordial creatures that figure in Senufo tales as the first beings on earth. Able to change color rapidly, the chameleon embodies transformation.
Anita Glaze, 2007 for the Neuberger Museum of Art.
Updated 11/19/08
