A Bwa Mask from Burkina Faso, large flat surface withthe head of a bird attached to the top, the surface with large X carved and a circle on either side, the surface painted white and red and blue lines. signs of Use. Certificate of origin and provenance. “ With a population of about 300,000, the Bwa live in both Mali and Burkina Faso. The Bwa are governed by a council of elders. Unlike many surrounding cultures, the masks are not owned by secret societies. Masks are owned by entire families, but are in the care of elder men. The masks are accessible to everyone in the family, men and women, although only the young men wear them in the rituals. The rituals preformed are mostly to communicate or tell stories of encounters with the spirits and the Bwa people. The Bwa make two different types of masks. The first type is made out of wild plant leaves, to represent nature and wilderness. The second type is made out of wood to represent multiple spirits who protect them…” Source: Pacific Lutheran University.