Monumental Bwa Serpent Plank Mask with Zoomorphic Head

Burkina Faso

A Bwa plank mask defined by a continuous, oscillating vertical movement articulated through a zigzagging serpent form.

Description

A plank mask of elongated, dynamic form, attributed to the Bwa.

The body rises in a sustained zigzag trajectory, the structure itself bending in alternating planes rather than simply carrying surface pattern. Repeated triangular relief is embedded across this undulating form, creating a rhythmic cadence that reinforces the sense of upward motion.

At the summit, a zoomorphic head with projecting snout emerges as a continuation of this movement rather than a terminal element. Below, a circular mask with concentric eye motifs introduces a moment of compression within the vertical flow, while a rectangular lower section extends the geometric system through dense, repeated incision.

Pigment is retained across both raised and recessed zones, with abrasion at exposed points revealing the underlying wood. The contrast between lighter relief and darker ground maintains the clarity of the carved patterning along the full height of the piece.

Context

Within Bwa tradition, plank masks function in ceremonial performance where movement, rhythm, and vertical extension are essential. In serpent forms such as this, repetition and oscillation work together to sustain a continuous visual motion from base to summit. Examples of this scale with surface of this integrity remain uncommon.

Provenance

From the Felice Maffei Collection

Acquired Burkina Faso, 1984

Available on private enquiry.