Face / plank mask "sirige"
Mali, Dogon
sold
EUR 2,500
Provenance
Horst Hornstadt, Frankfurt, GermanySize
H: 145 cm - 109 cm - 73,5 cm (full height: 327,5 cm)
H: 57.1 inch - 42.9 inch - 28.9 inch (full height: 128.9 inch)
Description
wood, three-part, pigments, mass, animal skin, metal, base
The “sirige” mask measures several metres in length. It symbolizes the “ginna” (“the house of the extended family”). Its elongated structure is a vertical juxtaposition of generations.
The “sirige” masquerade dances in the village square, reenact what the Dogon believe to be the creation of earth and life.
The athletic and skilled dancer swings the mask in circular motions, touching the tip of the mask to the ground to represent the sun and its life giving properties.
Only adults in full possession of their physical strength are capable of manoeuvring this type of mask. The mask stays in position by means of a wooden bit that dancers hold between their teeth.