Bambara Male Dance Mask, Based

Seven teeth on top, a long blade below, and an expression that settles the matter.

This male dance mask, on a base, is Bambara, from San Village in the Segou area of Mali, West Africa, early 20th century, in wood. Bambara masks with a crest of upright prongs are linked to the initiation of boys, teaching them what the community expected of them, and meanings vary by region. The brow is a smooth dark dome over a straight, ruler-like nose. The face narrows to a long point, incised with chevrons and edged in small round holes. Two round holes serve as eyes. It stands 28.5 inches high.

Boys were expected to take this sort of thing seriously.