Tribal Art

Dogon mask of undetermined type, whose features are carved in a rather figurative way. A helmet frames the face, where sits a frail sculpted subject, linked to a being of the Dogon cosmogony, an ancestor or a spirit. Irregular surface, matte brown patina. Erosions and cracks.
More than eighty types of Dogon masks are listed, the best known of which are the Kanaga, Sirigé, Satimbé, Walu. Most of them are used by circumcised initiates of the Awa society, during funeral ceremonies. The Awa designates the masks, their costumes, and all the Dogons in the service of the masks. Some evoke animals, in reference to the rich cosmogony and mythology of African Dogon art. The "nyama", the mask's vital force, is activated by various rituals in order to develop the object's full magical potential.