White Monkey Mask

Among the numerous masks of the Dogon featured his anthropo-zoomorphic monkey masks. Marcel Griaule, in his Thesis “Masque dogon” describes three types of masks of this ape. The black monkey mask or dege, representing the cynocephalus, red monkey or ko, and that of the white monkey omono, of which they do not indicate the species to which they belong but which they qualify as tana wurum bogoroI mean, bad jungle male. These masks participate in the dances of the Lady's ceremonies and mainly in the village of Ireli. With regard to the white monkey who is the one we are interested in here, Griaule tells us that his dance reminds us of that of the hare, moves across his legs, bends down and lies on his side when he is shouted “apaya wana boy(The dog is coming!)

Participate in the Lady’s ceremonies. The Lady is a symbolic mourning ceremony to facilitate the soul of the deceased to meet with the ancestors. It's celebrated at night, just outside the village. There will be numerous libations with fonio. The dance of the masks will last three days to facilitate in abandonment of this world by the soul of the deceased.

We are facing a very simplified white monkey mask in which only the outline of the head and ears has been outlined. Patina grisacea very old.