Molo (Bobo helmet mask)
Primary Bobo sacred wooden helmet mask, carved by the blacksmith caste for Dwo-cult ceremonies; long rectangular face, arcing horns, chevron scarification marks.
Molo is the primary category of Bobo sacred wooden helmet mask, carved by the blacksmith (sibe) caste and used in Dwo-cult ceremonies at agricultural purification rites, funerals of Dwo priests and male initiation. It is formally characterised by a long rectangular face, a helmet base fitting over the performer's head, tall arcing horns and chevron scarification marks.
The molo does not depict Dwo directly — it symbolises Dwo's presence. It is the wooden mask form most often misidentified in the market as "Bwa" or "generic Burkina Faso" when it lacks field provenance. Distinguishing molo from the related nwenka — a sacred altar mask tied specifically to the sibe lineage and activated in funerary contexts — requires close attention to acquisition documentation and formal attributes (Le Moal 1980; Roy 1987).