Le bateleur incompris.

J. Jamin—The Monstrous Wraith: Senufo Hyena-Masks. Rather than objets d'art Senufo masks are but a minor part of the routine production of Senufo craftsmen, not différent from plain tools up to the time when they are integrated into a liturgy or a magical process. In other words the carving of a mask is completely dissociated from its religious use. Which explains how the industrial production of masks for the souvenir and 'antique' trade could develop without hurting Senufo opinion. This attitude might well be a reaction to the idéologie fetters of the poro cuit, as evidenced by the wholesale destruction or dereliction of masks under the influence of récent messianistic cuits. More generally it can be related to a Senufo Weltanschauung based upon a quasi-manichean concept of duality, expressed in the stylistic variants of masks. [pp. 125-142]Leiris Michel. Le bateleur incompris.. In: Cahiers d'études africaines, vol. 19, n°73-76, 1979. Gens et paroles d'Afrique. Écrits pour Denise Paulme. pp. 19-24