Zoomorphic mask "nwenka" · Burkina Faso, Bobo · ID: 3036787
Description
wood, matt patina, polychrome pain, pierced around the rim, rep. (breakage fixed by cord), missing part (left horn tip), cracks, traces of abrasion, base;
the “nwenka” mask is one of the oldest and most sacred wooden masks that perform at Bobo masquerades. Tradition claims it dated from the time of creation when “wuro”, the Creator God, molded the world from moist clay and made creatures to inhabit it. The first humans he created were the blacksmith and his wife. When “wuro” eventually retreated from the perfect world he had created, he left his three sons behind to help mankind maintain the balance between the opposing forces in the world. His most important son is “dwo”. The “nwenka” mask embodies the spirit of “dwo” and ultimately “wuro’s” spirit. The “nwenka” masked dance imitates “wuro’s” creating the world. These masks are worn with a costume of thick fibres.
The object Zoomorphic mask “nwenka” with the object ID 3036787 was last part of the auction 77th tribal art auction at June 28, 2014 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house. The object with the lot number 166 achieved a sales price of EUR 2,500.
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Expertise
Alain Dafour, Ramatuelle, 7.7.1996
Comparing literature
Walker, Roslyn Adele, The Arts of Africa at the Dallas Museum of Art, New Haven 2009, ill. 34