Female Face Mask

Arts of Africa

Late 19th/early 20th century

Bamana, Marka, or Sorogo
Eastern Segou region, Mali
Northern Africa and the Sahel

Variously attributed to the culturally related Bamana, Marka, or Sorogo peoples, this small mask with its striking indigo-blue color and decorative copper strips shows signs of intense usage. It depicts a beautiful and alluring Fulani maiden named Meren, a popular character in entertainment performances sponsored by youth associations among the Bamana and their related neighbors. The Fulani are a large group of Islamic nomadic merchants and pastoralists that ranges widely over West Africa.

Status: Currently Off View
Department: Arts of Africa

Culture: Bamana
Title: Female Face Mask
Place: Mali (Object made in:)
Date Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.: 1875–1925
Medium: Wood, copper, and indigo
Dimensions: H.: 28.6 cm (11 1/4 in.)
Credit Line: Gift of Richard Faletti, the Faletti Family Collection
Reference Number: 2006.107

Mary Nooter Roberts and Allen F. Roberts, A Sense of Wonder: African Art from the Faletti Family Collection (Phoenix: Phoenix Art Museum, 1997), pg. 53, cat. 2 (ill.).

Phoenix Art Museum, A Sense of Wonder: African Art from the Faletti Family Collection, Dec. 13, 1997-Feb. 8, 1998, cat. 2; traveled to Chicago, The David and Alfred Smart Museum of Art, University of Chicago, May 14-June 28, 1998, Urbana-Champaign, Krannert Art Museum and Kinkead Pavilion, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Sept. 18-Nov. 1, 1998, New York, N.Y., The Museum for African Art, Jan. 29-March 28, 1999, Davenport Museum of Art, Apr. 18-June 13, 1999, New Brunswick, N.J., Rutgers University, The Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Art Museum, Sept. 12-Nov. 24, 1999, and The Boise Art Museum, Feb. 26-May 7, 2000.

William Wright Gallery, New York, N.Y., by 1985; sold to Richard Faletti (died 2006) and Barbara Faletti (died 2000), Chicago, Ill. and Phoenix, Ariz., 1985; given to the Art Institute, 2006.

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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Date Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

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