N'tomo masks are used by the

Bambara people The Bambara ( bm, ߓߡߊߣߊ߲, italics=no, ''Bamana'' or ''Banmana'') are a Mandé ethnic group native to much of West Africa, primarily southern Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso and Senegal. They have been associated with the historic Bambara Empi ...

West Africa West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali ...

. There are six male

initiation Initiation is a rite of passage marking entrance or acceptance into a group or society. It could also be a formal admission to adulthood in a community or one of its formal components. In an extended sense, it can also signify a transformation ...

societies that young males must pass through before becoming a man. N'tomo Dyo is the first of these through which boys pass before their

circumcision Circumcision is a procedure that removes the foreskin from the human penis. In the most common form of the operation, the foreskin is extended with forceps, then a circumcision device may be placed, after which the foreskin is excised. Top ...

. The mask represents the legendary ancestor of the Bambara and it is a symbol of protection. The

mask A mask is an object normally worn on the face, typically for protection, disguise, performance, or entertainment and often they have been employed for rituals and rights. Masks have been used since antiquity for both ceremonial and pra ...

is made of wood and may be covered in shells, seeds or brass. The face maybe more or less abstract, but is always topped by a row of vertical projections. The number of spikes indicates whether the mask is masculine, feminine or

androgynous Androgyny is the possession of both masculine and feminine characteristics. Androgyny may be expressed with regard to biological sex, gender identity, or gender expression. When ''androgyny'' refers to mixed biological sex characteristics in ...

. Three, six or nine are male; four and eight are female; and two, five and seven are androgynous. The mask was also used at agricultural festivities and to prevent illness.

History

Research indicates that the Bambara mask dates back to the early to mid-18th century. It was used for ceremonial purposes. Many rituals such as

wedding A wedding is a ceremony where two people are united in marriage. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes. Most wedding ceremonies involve an exchange of marriage vo ...

birth Birth is the act or process of bearing or bringing forth offspring, also referred to in technical contexts as parturition. In mammals, the process is initiated by hormones which cause the muscular walls of the uterus to contract, expelling the f ...

s, circumcisions and

funeral A funeral is a ceremony connected with the final disposition of a corpse, such as a burial or cremation, with the attendant observances. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember and respect ...

s were performed with these masks. The mask was given offerings and

sacrifice Sacrifice is the offering of material possessions or the lives of animals or humans to a deity as an act of propitiation or worship. Evidence of ritual animal sacrifice has been seen at least since ancient Hebrews and Greeks, and possibly exis ...

s and on specific cases were ritually buried when their uses were no longer and their character was lost. The mask is also used in agricultural rituals. The Bambara people are primarily concerned with

agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people ...

, and the fertility of the land. They have a strong connection with the earth and believe the mask will ensure a good

harvest Harvesting is the process of gathering a ripe crop from the fields. Reaping is the cutting of grain or pulse for harvest, typically using a scythe, sickle, or reaper. On smaller farms with minimal mechanization, harvesting is the most l ...

and it celebrates an excellent farmer. The Bambara people had six male societies and each society had its own unique mask. One of the societies called ‘''jo’'' is about initiation, a procedure that every boy had to go through to become a man. This initiation only stopped a few decades ago. At each stage of the procedure or initiation the young man is required to wear a mask. One of the procedures involves the young man going to live in the bush for one week. After this he would return to the village where he would perform in the mask the dances and songs he learnt in the bush and then be given small gifts from spectators. After that, they are ritually bathed which signals the end of their animal life and the beginning of their new life as ‘''jo''’ children. Another mask depicts the culture as well as the life of the tribe. Without this the tribe believed that chaos would come upon them as their crops wouldn't grow, and they couldn't perform weddings or initiations. Today, the mask is still used for the same purposes in the tribe and also has a few extra ones. As well as its preexisting uses it is now used for educational, decorative and display purposes. People can now purchase the masks online. Commercially they can be sold for between $200 and $1,000. People place them in their house as decoration or to represent their love for

African culture African or Africans may refer to: * Anything from or pertaining to the continent of Africa: ** People who are native to Africa, descendants of natives of Africa, or individuals who trace their ancestry to indigenous inhabitants of Africa *** Ethn ...

. They are put in museums for display and educational purposes. People can see them in the museum and learn about the history of the mask, as it depicts the culture and life of the tribe. These masks play a significant role in the culture and spiritual world of the Bambara people. The masks are visually expressive and have high attention to detail. The masks illustrate the craftsmanship of the tribe and how this has been passed on to other generations. The masks allow the traditions of rites and ceremonies of the tribe to continue in some form today. There is clearly a special relationship between the Bambara people and their masks. The masks are more than just art to them; they represent the life of the tribe.

References

{{reflist Masks in Africa Bamana