Mask "kanaga" · Mali, Dogon · ID: 3046455
Peter Willborg, Stockholm, Sweden
Description
wood (eight-part), pigments, mass, animal skin, plant fibre, water stains, rep.
Dogon masks are worn primarily at “dama”, a collective funerary rite for Dogon men. The ritual’s goal is to ensure the safe passage of the spirits of the deceased to the world of the ancestors.
The ceremony is organized by members of “awa”, a male initiation society with ritual and political roles within Dogon society.
For the “dama” festivities hundreds of masked dancers perform, creating a brilliantly colored, ever-changing spectacle of sculpture, costume, song and dance.
The object Mask “kanaga” with the object ID 3046455 was last part of the auction 94th Tribal Art Auction at March 7, 2020 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house. The object with the lot number 23 achieved a sales price of EUR 800.
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.
Comparing literature
Ezra, Kate, Art of the Dogon, New York 1988, p. 68 f.