Additional Information:  This mask is attributed to the Dogon. Among the Dogon, similar masks are identified as monkeys, with triangular eyes and wide lips.  During the Dama masquerade different types of monkeys are invited to perform.  These monkeys include "Omono" refers to the 'white' monkey like this example; the red monkey mask is  known as "Ko" and the black monkey is called "Dege". This is accordingly to the role assigned to the being danced. The Dogon  believe that the baboon mask reflects the 'wild' side of mankind, uncivilized, anti-social and dangerous. The Dogon people of the Bandiagara escarpment of region of Mali are well known for their spectacular and dramatic funerary rituals and the various masks that appear during the funerary rituals known as Dama. The Dama funerary ceremonies extend over a number of days during which numerous masks appear to honor the deceased as they are elevated to their new status as an ancestor. The dancing of the masks celebrate the life of the deceased while at the same time serves to equally guide the new ancestor out of the village so that the spirit of the deceased cannot harm the living. A number of masks appear each with a different sculptural form and identity reflecting Dogon mythology, cosmology to give sculptural shape to Dogon understanding of the world of the living. This example of the bird mask with its elongated legs and its beak reaching down the face is an interesting variation of the Dogon bird mask. Recommended Reading:Griaule, M. Msques Dogon, 1963.Imperato, J. P., Dogon Cliff Dwellers, The Art of Mali s Mountain People. 1978.

• Type of Object: Mask
• Materials: Wood
• Country of Origin: Mali
• Dimensions: Height: 20 InchesWidth: 6 Inches
• People: Dogon

Type of Object: MaskAfrica Direct