A Bamana Hyena mask, Mali, stylized as a hyena head with circular eyes, a pair of upright ears and a snout, it has a horn like protrusion on the center of the head and small zig zag carvings around the face; aged patina; traces of ritual use. Cerificate of origin and provenance. “The mask of the suruku, or hyena, was worn by a masker of the Korè, a male initiation association. In some Bamana communities it may have served to chase curious non-initiates away from the association’s sacred grove during secret ceremonies. Masks in the form of ‘lazy’ or ‘wily’ animals like the hyena were also used in performances that criticized hypocritical individuals and the authority of immoral elders.” Source: National Museums Liverpool.