Additional titles
Buffalo

Dated
Date of origin: second half of the 20th century

Geographical reference
Place of origin: Mali

Material / technique
Wood, carved, colored
Textile, sewn
Metal, polychromed
rubber, polychromed
Ribbon

Dimensions
Object dimension: 139 x 45 x 22 cm
Weight: 6,2 kg

Acquisition note
Purchase Karl-Heinz Krieg 1992

Creditline
​​​​KOLK 17 Figurentheater & Museum, Lübeck

Inventory no.
TF008838

Keywords
Sogo bò | Coming forth of the masks and puppets Sogo kun | Animal (puppet) head Africa West Africa Animal Human being

Object description
Perhaps this animal figure head (sogo kun) is the head of a zoomorphic ‘costume puppet’ or the head for a movable animal figure stage (kalaka kònò sogo) from the sogo bò theatre. However, the latter is more likely.
Records by K.-H. Krieg refer to the animal depicted as sigi (bam.: bufallo). The buffalo's head is painted pink and decorated with blue and red dots. The horns are painted in the same colours. Three small female human figures sit on top of the horns. (21.10.2024, EF)

Object history
The puppet was acquired by Karl-Heinz Krieg on one of his field research trips. Krieg sold it to Fritz Fey Jr. in January 1992 as part of a convolute. Krieg's notes state that the figurine was sold to K.-H. K. by Amadou Dembélé in Ségou in 1986. K.-H. K.'s notes also contain an interview about the naming of the object as sigi.
(21.10.2024, EF)