https://emuseum.cornell.edu/internal/media/dispatcher/73332/fullCrest mask representing an elephant (nkum nsüo)[]WoodMask of elephant head with elongated trunk and ears. This elephant mask is part of a larger ensemble of masks known as kum. The masquerade group consists of five to twenty-some masks depicting both people and animals, such as the buffalo, ram, chameleon, and "flying dog" or bat. The elephant appears last in the masquerade and, as the most prestigious animal, serves to protect the other characters from both people and "bad medicines." This and other masks performed in the kum masquerade were traditionally expressions of wealth and achievement; the right to perform, commission masks, and solicit performers, all required significant wealth and influence. The masquerade that features this and other masks is rarely performed today. Most masks have been sold or have decayed significantly. Elephants have been extinct in this part of African for a century; nevertheless, the metaphorical significance of the elephant is retained in the kum masquerade. Elephants have long been respected for their strength and sought for their valuable ivory tusks. These qualities are translated in the masquerade to represent political and economic power. com.gallerysystems.emuseum.core.entities.Classification@6bhttps://emuseum.cornell.edu/objects/16383/rdf