Karanga Mask (Yatenga-style)

Origin: Mossi nyonyosé Tribe, Burkina Faso
Composition: wood (one piece), leather, nails, kaolin and red ochre pigments

Yatenga masks embody the merging of human and animal powers – that is, they invoke the spirits of both the human ancestors and the untamed spirits of bush animals. The human figures represented here are often spoke of as “totemic,” meaning that they represent sacred characters that participated in origin legends told by the clans and families that own the masks. The bush animals however, represent nature spirits responsible for the well being of the land, the crops, the weather, and the people (ref: C. Roy, African Peoples Online, University of Iowa).

Incredibly, this large, elaborate mask is carved from a single piece of wood. It is bound by a strip of leather at the base of the plank for reinforcement. Purchased in Bobo Dioulasso directly from the tribe in 2007.