Newenka Mask
Bobo · Burkina Faso
Reference: MFG-73
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- Material
- Wood and pigments.
The Neweka mask is a mask belonging to the blacksmith caste and used mainly in mourning uprisings and Sibe rites. This ceremony is meant to teach…
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The Neweka mask is a mask belonging to the blacksmith caste and used mainly in mourning uprisings and Sibe rites. This ceremony is meant to teach the deceased the way of the afterlife.
The Sanu blacksmiths are the founding members of the Sibe triad and celebrate a cult common to the three figures of the Dwo, the spirit embodied in the mask of leaves. These three figures are the Kwele Dwo, Dwosa and Sibe DwoAt the end of the sacrifices on the altar of patama dwo There are many sacrifices and offerings that are made throughout these rites in which only the blacksmith caste can participate and in which the Newenka mask plays an important role.
It is a mask of great height formed by an anthropomorphic face decorated with triangles and geometric lines, with a conical cap on the head over which three series of figures are superimposed that remember the wings of butterfly. Very dark brown almost black on white. Old patina.
Further technical information
- Attributed period
- Mid-century XX or earlier.
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.
