Ram Mask (Bolo) (possibly early 1900s): Art, History and Details

Ram Mask (Bolo) (possibly early 1900s) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection.

The work and its context

The museum's open-access catalogue describes the work:

Bolo masks are primarily danced for entertainment during communal occasions like funerals, male initiations, and harvest celebrations. Comprising both animal and human features, the mask––always worn by a male dancer––refers to the cultural significance of the ram, an animal associated with male aggression across sub-Saharan Africa.

Object facts

• Title: Ram Mask (Bolo)
• Date: possibly early 1900s
• Culture: Africa, West Africa, Burkina Faso, Bobo-style blacksmith-carver
• Type: Mask
• Technique: Wood and paint
• Dimensions: Overall: 45 x 36 x 36 cm (17 11/16 x 14 3/16 x 14 3/16 in.)
• Collection: African Art
• Department: African Art
• Accession number: 2016.56

A detail from the museum

The mask was vividly painted while in use. Look closely at its surface to see traces of blue, red, and white paint.

Collection credit

René and Odette Delenne Collection, Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund

Further reading listed by the museum

• Maesen, Alebert, et al. Art d’Afrique dans les collections belges, cat. 21. Exh. Cat. Tervuren: Royal Museum for Central Africa, June 29-October 30, 1963.
• Leuzinger, Elsy. Die Kunst von Schwarz-Afrika, cat. C6. Exh. Cat. Recklinghausen: Verlag Aurel Bongers, in association with Kunsthaus Zürich, October 31, 1970-February 10, 1971.

View the collection record

See the museum's photographs and full catalogue entry. Catalogue text is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art's open-access data, with HTML formatting removed. This object and its supplied image are designated CC0.