Sold

Old zoomorphic mask / Burkina Faso - Gurunsi people / First half of the 20th century

Name: Old zoomorphic mask / Burkina Faso - Gurunsi people / First half of the 20th century
Brand: Antikeo
SKU: 3RQ9FUYU25
Price: 469 EUR
Availability: SoldOut

Unfortunately, this item is no longer available.
Discover a selection of similar items.

See other African Masks

Item offered for sale by

Cultures & Civilisations

38090 Villefontaine

Display phone number +33 4 74 96 36 93

See the gallery

Description

This description has been translated and may not be completely accurate. Click here to see the original

Old zoomorphic mask with representation of a monkey.
A prominent muzzle reveals a half-open mouth where sharp teeth take place. The mask has a short crown with two large ears and two curved eyes.

In Burkina, among the Bwa and the Gurunsi, the initiation periods are spaced out by three, five or seven years depending on the village. At the age of ten, the boys undergo the physical and moral tests and the teachings of the initiation where the mask is called to play a role. The initiation candidates must face the masks and defeat them. In the clearing of the sacred wood, they discover the masks and their customs. They are then explained the name of the mask and its moral teaching. In Gurunsi society, the monkey is, by its language, associated with the invisible world.

Dimensions: 15 x 30 cm
Presumed age: First half of the 20th century
Condition: Patina of use, old heightened with white pigments
Provenance: Former Bature collection

Ref: 3RQ9FUYU25

Additional Information