Dogon mask - Mali






Holds a postgraduate degree in African studies and 15 years experience in African art.
Catawiki Buyer Protection
Your payment’s safe with us until you receive your object.View details
Trustpilot 4.4 | 137313 reviews
Rated Excellent on Trustpilot.
Description from the seller
The Dogon people are renowned in African art for myths and beliefs about their cosmogony. Its population is estimated at about 300,000 people living southwest of the Niger Loop in the Mopti region of Mali (Bandiagara, Koro, Banka), near Douentza and part of northern Burkina (northwest of Ouahigouya). They produce more than 80 mask types, the best known of which are Kanaga, Sirigé, Satimbe, Walu. Most of them are used by the circumcised initiates of the Awa society, during funeral ceremonies. Some depict animals, in reference to the rich mythology of African Dogon art. The nyama, the vital force of the mask, is activated by different rituals in order to develop all the magical potential of the object. On the occasion of a Dama ritual marking the end of a mourning, the Dogon sculpt new masks. Provenance: Argiles Collection, Barcelona
Seller's Story
The Dogon people are renowned in African art for myths and beliefs about their cosmogony. Its population is estimated at about 300,000 people living southwest of the Niger Loop in the Mopti region of Mali (Bandiagara, Koro, Banka), near Douentza and part of northern Burkina (northwest of Ouahigouya). They produce more than 80 mask types, the best known of which are Kanaga, Sirigé, Satimbe, Walu. Most of them are used by the circumcised initiates of the Awa society, during funeral ceremonies. Some depict animals, in reference to the rich mythology of African Dogon art. The nyama, the vital force of the mask, is activated by different rituals in order to develop all the magical potential of the object. On the occasion of a Dama ritual marking the end of a mourning, the Dogon sculpt new masks. Provenance: Argiles Collection, Barcelona
