Antelope mask "walu" · Mali, Dogon · ID: 3037533
Description
light wood, black paint, red and white pigment, of rectangular form with long horns, painted with triangles and striped decor, metal hook, pierced around the rim., min. dam., cracks, traces of abrasion;
the mask reminds of the mythic antelope “walu”, which was engaged by the creator god “amma” to protect the sun from the fox “yurugu”. To take revenge for his vain effort the fox digged holes in the ground, so that the antelope fell and died. The dance of the mask “walu” should remind of this mythical occurrence. The mask appears during the “dama” commemorative ceremonies which take place every five years together with hundreds of masked dancers.
The object Antelope mask “walu” with the object ID 3037533 was last part of the auction 78th tribal art auction at October 18, 2014 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house. The object with the lot number 174 achieved a sales price of EUR 1,600.
You can find more Masks and other popular object types on our related topic pages. You may also be interested in our page on African art.
Publications
Le Mali, entre Histoire et Tradition, Bagnolet 2014, p. 32, ill. 41
Exhibition
Le Mali, entre Histoire et Tradition, Bangolet 31 Janvier - 28 Fevrier 2014