York's Shona Gallery presents the "Plank Mask" by the Bwa tribe of Burkina Faso. This mask features a round face with concentric circle eyes and a long nose that sits at the base of a tall plank carved in dense geometric patterns.
The most remarkable characteristic of these masks are the geometric patterns that cover them. These patterns constitute a system of signs that communicate the rules for correct moral behavior and the conduct of life for the followers of the small-scale religious associations that are focused on each spirit. These symbols are explained to young men and women alike during initiation. Each has an individual meaning, a second meaning in association with other patterns, and a meaning that varies with the level of knowledge of the initiate. The geometric patterns incised on masks are called "scars" by the Bwa Tribe, and they are identical to the scars worn by the men and women in the community (see third photo.)
Among the most common patterns is the system of parallel zig-zags, which is called "the path of the ancestors," and reminds those who see it that they must obey the rules established by the ancestors, do things as the ancestors did, in order to succeed. To follow the path of the ancestors shows respect for them, and they in turn act as mediators with the spirits of nature to provide their blessings over their descendants.
