Protest mask Yanyaleleya

It is a Yanyaleleya mask whose front comes out two long peaks, representing the calao and descending to the chin. It is used by the secret society of the Do. It comes from the region of Bonduku. Yanyaleya is the name of the bay of Abyssinia whose huge peak Ligbi they have integrated into this anthropomorphic mask that is manifested in the funeral celebrations of Muslim religious leaders and also in the fun festivities of the “aïd-el-fita”. They dance in pairs.

The calao is for the Ligbi, as for many other peoples, favoring the fruitfulness and protector of the souls of the deceased. But it is not they who sculpt their wooden masks, but the Senufo.

These masks are protective of the family and the possession of a bronze mask indicates a high social and economic level. Ovoid-shaped mask. Two small straight horns part from the temples. Open mouth and eyes. Four double semicircles adorn the contour of the mask. Two at the height of the ears and others, like a beard, at the height of the bottom of the cheeks. Two small holes above the mouth that indicate the nostrils. Old patina.