Kumbaruba mask

Kumbaruba mask

mid 1900s
Culture
Baga
Locale
Africa
Country
Guinea
Object
mask
Medium
painted wood and raffia
Accession Number
1971.665
Credit Line
Native Arts acquisition funds

Baga artist, Kumbaruba (Banda) Mask, Mid-1900s. Painted wood and raffia; 63 1/2 in. x 14 1/4 in. x 11 in. Denver Art Museum: Native Arts acquisition funds, 1971.665. Photography © Denver Art Museum

Dimensions
height: 63.5 in, 161.2900 cm; width: 14.25 in, 36.1950 cm; depth: 11 in, 27.9400 cm
Department
Native Arts
Collection
Arts of Africa
This object is currently on view
To portray the bush spirit Kumbaruba (also known as Banda), the artist emphasizes the spirit’s most recognizable human and animal features—the facial scars and braided hairstyle of a Baga woman, the jaws of a crocodile, the horns of an antelope, the body of a serpent, and the tail of a chameleon. These symbols are meant to provide protection during times of uncertainty or vulnerability.
Known Provenance
Baba Kaba, before 1971; Denver Art Museum via Marion Hendrie Fund, 1971.
Exhibition History
  • “Stampede: Animals in Art” — Denver Art Museum, 9/10/2017