“Komo Society Headdress”
Gabrielle Cuebas
HUA 101
The American Museum of Natural History
“Komo Society Headdress”
On my visit to the American Museum of Natural History, I decided to pay particular
attention to the exhibit of the African Peoples. I came across a very interesting head piece, which
was made in the primitive ages, before people became literate. The piece is called the Komo
Society Headdress, from the Bambara, or Bamana, society of Africa. The general idea of African
head pieces or s is that they are used for tribal dances, either for celebratory or spiritual
ceremonies. Komo headdresses also “play an important part in traditional Bamana religious and
political life.”1 I never found African culture to be very interesting, but this piece caught my
attention. It was quite large and stood out among the other works of art in the showcase.
The head piece, which was in the center of the showcase, seemed to be made of paper
mache or mud, animal horns and talons, and feathers. It had a very eerie look to it because the
lighting in the showcase was dark blue. Only the left side of the , which was mostly light brown,
was in view. The snout was about a foot and a half long, with five gapped teeth in the mouth.
There are three pairs of talons, of an ivory color, across the top of the snout, and what looks like
two pairs for the eyes. Protruding from the middle of the snout is a tube with many feathers
coming out of it and from the back of the head are two large horns that look like they came from
a ram. The headdress looks quite masculine, so I would assume a man wore this piece during
ceremonies.
I associated the elongated form of the headdress to express longevity. It seems as if it
were passed down through many generations. The variety of materials used gave it a sort of
spirit. The decorations and elongated forms of most headdresses are “vessels of power.”2 My
first glance of this piece gave me the idea that the person who wore it had great authority and
was known to be fearless or noble. I later discovered that people who wore these masks were part
of a “typical Komo society, which functions as the custodian of tradition and is concerned with
all aspects of community life-agriculture, judicial processes, and passage rites.”3
When I look at this piece, and others like it, I can feel the importance of tradition. It also
looks like it could have been used during sacrifices. Since the Africans are greatly known for
dancing, I can sense that they we a happy, or at least content, population. The headdresses and
masks “are worn and seen only by members of the powerful Komo association, who harness the
power (nyama) contained in the mask to aid members of the community who request
assistance.”4 These societies are known for being very secretive. Now that the secret is out, it is
very interesting to know how world cultures change, and the uses of things they practice.
Notes
1
http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/opencollection/objects/4810
2
http://www.museum.cornell.edu/HFJ/Handbook/hb95.html
3
http://www.hamillgallery.com/BAMANA/BamanaKomoMasks/Komo02.html
4
http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/opencollection/objects/4810