GENERAL DESCRIPTION
In West and Central Africa, the elephant is a potent image of political force and the accumulation of wealth by those in power. This is true for the art of the Cameroon Grasslands, the origin of this mask, which is elaborately decorated with imported glass beads and represents an elephant. Long panels with geometric forms hanging down the front and back represent the animal’s trunk and the flat discs with starburst patterns are its ears. The mask can be worn with a headdress made of red tail feathers from the African gray parrot, a precious material usually reserved for the king. The Kuosi, members of a society that served as the king’s representatives, and at times the king, wore this mask and headdress as they performed the prestigious elephant dance during rituals, festivals, and funerals. Those wearing the costume were concealed under cloth garments trimmed with colobus monkey fur.
Adapted from
- Label text, 2018.
- Ramona Austin, "Elephant masks and hat," in Dallas Museum of Art: A Guide to the Collection, ed. Suzanne Kotz (Dallas, TX: Dallas Museum of Art, 1997), 152.
NOTES
Exhibition - African masks the art of disguise
Catalogue essays
Artist/designers
Cultures
Geography
Process/materials
Historical periods
Individuals
Subject terms
RELATED OBJECTS
1991.54.1 Elephant mask (mbap mteng)
PROVENANCE
1991: Dallas Museum of Art, purchased from Joel Cooner Fine Art, Dallas, Texas
Notes:
The main source for this provenance is the copy of the invoice dated June 25, 1991, in the Collections Records object file (1991.54.1-2).
AUDIO ASSETS
Listen to curator Roslyn Walker discuss this elephant mask, http://dmaconnect.org/CONNECT/dmacon_elephant_mask?ssSourceSiteId=null
VIDEO ASSETS
IMAGE ASSETS
Members of the elephant society, wearing beaded elephant masks and feathered headdresses. Bandjoun, Cameroon, 1930.
213639998: UMO
WEB RESOURCES
- African Masks: the Art of Disguise~Learn more about this mask and hat.
ARCHIVAL RESOURCES
FUN FACTS
TEACHING IDEAS
RULES
Apply to objects where number equals 1991.54.2
Category
rules_operator
AND
General Description
In West and Central Africa, the elephant is a potent image of political force and the accumulation of wealth by those in power. This is true for the art of the Cameroon Grasslands, the origin of this mask, which is elaborately decorated with imported glass beads and represents an elephant. Long panels with geometric forms hanging down the front and back represent the animal’s trunk and the flat discs with starburst patterns are its ears. The mask can be worn with a headdress made of red tail feathers from the African gray parrot, a precious material usually reserved for the king. The Kuosi, members of a society that served as the king’s representatives, and at times the king, wore this mask and headdress as they performed the prestigious elephant dance during rituals, festivals, and funerals. Those wearing the costume were concealed under cloth garments trimmed with colobus monkey fur.
Adapted from
- Label text, 2018.
- Ramona Austin, "Elephant masks and hat," in Dallas Museum of Art: A Guide to the Collection, ed. Suzanne Kotz (Dallas, TX: Dallas Museum of Art, 1997), 152.
Fun Facts
Archival Resources
Web Resources
Notes
Exhibition - African masks the art of disguise
Catalogue essays
Artist/designers
Cultures
Geography
Process/materials
Historical periods
Individuals
Subject terms
RELATED OBJECTS
1991.54.1 Elephant mask (mbap mteng)
PROVENANCE
1991: Dallas Museum of Art, purchased from Joel Cooner Fine Art, Dallas, Texas
Notes:
The main source for this provenance is the copy of the invoice dated June 25, 1991, in the Collections Records object file (1991.54.1-2).
AUDIO ASSETS
Listen to curator Roslyn Walker discuss this elephant mask, http://dmaconnect.org/CONNECT/dmacon_elephant_mask?ssSourceSiteId=null
VIDEO ASSETS
rules
Apply To
Objects
number
Equals
1991.54.2
source file
object_notes_2_d-0475.xml.nores