Zoomorphic mask "wan nyaka" · Burkina Faso, Mossi · ID: 3036890
not available anymore
Provenance
Robert Lewitzki, Celle, GermanySize
H: 17,5 cm
H: 6.9 inch
Description
wood, matt patina, polychrome paint, vaulted calotte with raised forehead ridge, surmounted by long horns, ornamentally painted, pierced around the rim, min. dam., fine cracks, slight traces of abrasion;
the masks of the Bobo have totemistic character, they are part of the genesis myths of the clan they belong to. “Wan nyaka” means “little antelope” and appeared at funerals and circumcision festivities.
Comparing literature
Roy, Christopher, Art of the Upper Volta Rivers, Paris 1987, p. 106, ill. 72