A CARVED-WOOD DANCE MASK '' NWAN

Description:

Africa, Burkina Faso or Mali, Bwa
H. 150 cm
Flat, board-like dance mask with a high top on the head section, cuff-like oval top for the face, the front is divided into three sections. The centre section is rectangular, the base, which is held in front of the face during the dance, is rounded, the upper end tapers into two points like a fork. Coloured in geometric shapes in black, white and with some dark red elements. The reverse has a chequerboard pattern in black and white. Wooden masks of this type originate from the Nuna religion. With their mostly polychrome painting, they represent the god Lanle, who is present in these masks during rituals. However, Nwantantay masks can embody different beings. For example, a butterfly mask has circular motifs, a falcon mask has a white surface. There are also monkey, snake and buffalo masks. The mask dances are usually performed in the dry season between February and May. In addition to making masks, the Bwa are known for their carefully crafted wooden musical instruments, especially flutes and drums. Among the northern Bwa, the masks nwantantay represent the deity Dwo. The creator deity of the Bwa is called Wuro, who created the world within the framework of an alternating stable equilibrium (dualism). According to tradition, Wuro was once insulted by a human and in response he sent his eldest son, Dwo, to mediate. Wuro's sons are Dwo, the god of renewal and rebirth, Soxo, the god of nature and Kwere, the god of weather and lightning. These beings and mythical primeval events are depicted and re-enacted in the Boni Bwa board masks. The Bwa or Bwaba are known for their elaborate dance masks (such as this one) as well as their skilfully scarred tattoos. Of the Bwa masks, the nwantantay is probably the best known. They are mostly made of wood, but cast bronze is also used. Blacksmiths occupy a high position in Bwa society; the metal craft is accordingly highly developed. The settlement area of the Bwa, Bwamu, is located in the West African states of Burkina Faso and Mali. The term Bobo was and is used to refer to both the Bwaba and the Bobo ethnic group, or both together.
From an old German private collection, acquired in the 1980s - Partially traces of use and slightly chipped