Antelope mask "walu" · Mali, Dogon · ID: 3038076
Antonio Fiacco, Zurich, Switzerland
Description
light wood, black paint, red and white pigment, of rectangular form with long, strong horns, 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 3038076 was last part of the auction 79th Tribal Art Auction at March 21, 2015 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house and had the lot number 132.
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Comparing literature
Bilot, Alain, Masques du pays Dogon, Paris 2001, p. 68 f.