Zoomorphic mask "kobiay"
Burkina Faso, Bobo
not available anymore
Provenance
Moses Asch, New York, USA (Plattenproduzent u. a. von Woody Guthrie)Size
H: 80,5 cm
H: 31.7 inch
Description
wood, matt, slightly encrusted patina, polychrome paint, dominated by a rectangular, teeth-revealing mouth and high forehead crest, flanked by small ears/horns, small chin plug, pierced around the rim, min. dam., fine cracks, traces of abrasion, base;
these masks represent the spirit “hombo”, a protective spirit of the blacksmiths. Most of the masks depict beings from the bush in an animalic or fantastic shape, invisible for humans. The knowledge of the masks and of their geometrical patterns is restricted to the male population. During a two week initiation the boys are introduced to this secret knowledge, which also serves for mediation of social and moral values.