Ram Mask (Bolo)
Unknown Artist
possibly early 1900s
Medium
Wood and paint
Dimensions
45 × 36 × 36 cm
Classification
Mask
Department
African Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
René and Odette Delenne Collection, Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund
Accession Number
2016.56
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
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.