Hiena Helmet Mask
Mossi · Burkina Faso
Reference: MCYC-33
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- Material
- Wood and pigments
Mask helmet representing an imaginary animal that could be a hyena. An elongated nose surmounted by a bland stripe flanked by black triangles. On both sides…
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Full original description
Mask helmet representing an imaginary animal that could be a hyena. An elongated nose surmounted by a bland stripe flanked by black triangles. On both sides of the ears, in the semi-spherical part of the case, there are two other rows of black triangles.
The masks Mossi the survival of an agricultural cult. They are destined to care for fruit trees especially the shea from which butter and butter are obtained mpeku. These celebrations of the fertility of the fields are led by the heads of the earth, descendants of the first ancestors, priests charged with establishing an incline between the world of the living and that of the spirits.
The Mossi call wando to all his masks, being waôgo they belong to an association of young hunters of the village and participate in the burials of the notables of the community and in the agrarian ceremonies. The polychrome of these masks is red, white and black combined in different geometric drawings, triangles and semicircles.
These masks were attributed for quite some time to the Gurunsi.
Further technical information
- Width
- 31 cm
- Attributed period
- Mid-century XX
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.
