York's Shona Gallery presents the "Mossi Tribe Mask" by the Mossi tribe of Burkina Faso. The highlight of the mask is its long, curved horns that sweep back from an animal-like face painted with white geometric patterns on dark brown wood.
The Mossi use masks at burials, funerals, and initiations, and at annual year-end ancestral sacrifices. They represent spirits from the wild bush areas surrounding the village, which may appear to humans as animals. When masks are not being worn in performances, they are placed on ancestral shrines in the kimse roogo, or ancestral spirit house of the family that owns them. The spirits protect the family from disease, accident, natural disaster, drought, infertility, and generally ensure success in their life.
At 32" tall, the mask is hand carved from wood and was made in 1962. It is lightweight and can be mounted on the wall or displayed on the custom mask stand included with your purchase.
