Antilope mask Wan Nyaka
Mossi · Burkina Faso
Reference: MCYC-34
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- Height
- 41 cm
- Material
- Wood, feathers, pigments and sacrificial substances
The zoomorf masks for most African ethnic groups, especially from the west, are hunter masks. The soul of the deceased must not only face the hostilities…
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Full original description
The zoomorf masks for most African ethnic groups, especially from the west, are hunter masks.
The soul of the deceased must not only face the hostilities of the souls of other deceased whose sympathy he did not enjoy in life but if during his life he had been a hunter he will have to be very careful the souls of the animals he has killed. In order for their transit to the afterlife to be favorable some societies involve in funeral dances the zoomorphs to clear the way and thus facilitate their passage into the afterlife.They are also masks that celebrate the most important agricultural festivities.
This mask is the stylized representation of the head of an antelope. The antelope is an animal that appears in numerous cosmogonies that narrate the origins of these ethnic groups and the aids and favors granted to the first ancestor or the founding hero. Polychrome red, brown and white. Triangles, red, characteristic of the Mossi and all groups Gurunsi.
Further technical information
- Width
- 14 cm
- Attributed period
- Mid-century XX or earlier.
- Recorded weight
- 1.13 g
Details transcribed from the original catalogue; they are not a recent physical inspection.
Country on the map
Burkina Faso. The country associated with the catalog is shown, not the current location of the piece.
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Attributions, dates and accounts come from the preserved catalogue. They do not constitute certification of authenticity or provenance. An object’s presence on this website does not mean it is available for sale.
