Mask

Description

heavy wood, kaolin, black and red paint, a flat and narrow facial plane with raised forehead crest and elongated nose bridge, two pairs of eyes, the lower one serving as see holes for the dancer, who additionally fixes the mask with a crossbar on the back of the mask by holding it with the teeth, remains of drilled cord material, vertical grooves on both sides, slightly dam., cracks, paint rubbed off;
while the sculptures are carved by the blacksmiths, the masks are carved by young men of the “awa” society. All the masks belong to the “awa” societies and appear during the “dama” burial ceremonies. Those are held every two or three years to honour the deceased. They are depicting animals, objects or humans and are made of plant fibres, fabric or wood.