African Mossi Plank Wood Tall Mask Burkina Faso Handmade Clans Initiations Funerals Spirits Ceremonial Plank Mask

This is a wonderful Mossi Yatenga Style Tall Plank Mask from Burkina Faso. This tall, thin mask consists of a white mask, black and brown square mask that matches the length of the horns carved to resemble those of a gazelle and a plank that is covered in black and white pigment. The face is convex, halved by triangular notches, and has circular holes for eyes. The horns are also convex and have painted tips. Triangles comprise most of the plank. The base and middle of the plank are rectangles and have carved triangles inside them. The top half of the plank also has a thin ladder-like design going up the center. The tall, vertically oriented, plank masks are used by the Mossi in the traditional state of Yatenga have, for decades, been considered the epitome of Mossi sculptural traditions.performer's teeth to help steady the mask. A series of smaller holes around the rim or back of the mask provide for the attachment of the tailored cap or thick cowl of fibers that cover the performer's head. The mask is carved with adzes and knives before the wood dries, which makes it is easier to shape. Sand and rough leaves are often used as a form of sandpaper to finish the masks. Pigment is applied in various geometric shapes, with triangles, rectangles and crescents the most common. Colors are produced from various materials, including charcoal, soot, lizard excrement, indigo, eggshell, hematite, kaolin, vegetable resin, and chalk mixed with water or egg whites. Masks are owned by a clan descent from the same ancestor and are used in various ceremonies, including initiations, funerals, and annual year-end sacrifices. The masks represent the spirits of familiar animals and a clan’s ancestor spirits or serve as guardians of fruits. Every member of a clan is connected to the animal that their clan’s masks depict. The animal is involved in the founding myths of the clans and members of a clan cannot kill their clan’s animal. Masks are named after the animal a mask represents. The masks are commonly accompanied by a costume made of blackened fibers from the hibiscus plant called a bindu. Young men who are educated in the meanings of the mask are those chosen to wear them, and they are also known by the name of the animal. This Mossi plank mask would be a wonderful addition to your collection or home.

Shows age, some discoloration, but overall in good condition

59" tall
5 3/4" wide
5 1/2" deep

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