Kobe Antelope Mask Nyanga

Origin: Bobo Tribe, Burkina Faso
Composition: wood (one piece), paint, pigment dyes

This is a wonderful nyanga or antelope mask from the Bobo tribe that represents the large roan kobe, also known as the waterbuck antelope. The piece is superbly carved, with a large, broad snout, a curved face, and elegant horns whose sweep and curl balance the reverse curve of the face. Masks such as this were worn by young Bobo men to mark the passage of the numerous steps in initiations that took well over a decade to complete. An excellent example of the Bobo style (Ref: Land of the Flying Masks).

The 100,000 Bobo people live in eastern Burkina Faso. They are primarily farmers whose lives are regulated by a council of elders. Their lives are dominated by the rhythm of the seasons - during the dry season in particular, when the fields are fallow, is when the masquerades are held. Most of their masks symbolize animals and spirits, and are worn during initiation ceremonies and festivals celebrating crops and agricultural prosperity (Ref: Bacquart, Tribal Arts of Africa).