About this artwork
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.
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Status
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On loan to Museum of Fine Arts, Houston in Houston for Living with the Gods: Art, Beliefs, and Peoples
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Department
- Arts of Africa
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Culture
- Senufo
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Title
- Helmet Mask (Kponyungo)
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Place
- Côte d'Ivoire (Object made in)
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Date
- 1850–1950
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Medium
- Wood and pigment
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Dimensions
- 27.9 × 27.3 × 102.9 cm (11 × 10 3/4 × 40 1/2 in.)
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Credit Line
- The Art Institute of Chicago, African and Amerindian Art Purchase Fund
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Reference Number
- 1963.842