Mossi Mask
Burkina Faso
A plank mask constructed along a vertical axis, the form organised through a continuous central spine and an extended figural superstructure.
Description
Carved from a single wood block, the composition rises from an ovoid facial base with circular pierced eye apertures surrounded by concentric incised rings and a central vertical ridge. A narrow shaft ascends from the head, incised along its length and flanked by angular lateral projections at two registers. Above, a circular disc element is organised by intersecting vertical and horizontal bands, transitioning into a triangular element from which a standing figure rises. The figure stands upright with elongated proportions and attenuated limbs. The perimeter remains open along the lateral projections.
Surface is compact and stable, with pigment retained within recessed zones and exposure at raised elements.
Context
Among the Mossi, plank masks of this type are used within funeral and ancestral ceremony.
Provenance
From the Felice Maffei Collection, acquired in Burkina Faso, 1984.
Details
- Title
- Mossi Mask
- Culture
- Mossi
- Origin
- Burkina Faso
- Date
- 19th–20th century
- Dimensions
- H 156 cm (61.4 in) · W 20 cm (7.9 in)
- Medium
- Wood, pigment
- Provenance
- From the Felice Maffei Collection, acquired in Burkina Faso, 1984.
- Condition
- Stable surface; pigment partially retained; exposure at raised elements.
