African Arts Gallery

This African, facial mask, with a crest in the form of a female statue, is only part of the mask: for the Dogon, the whole mask consists not only of the wooden element to conceal the face of the dancer but also of the costume of accompanying fibers. Locally matte polychromy flaked
. The female figure at the top, Ya Sigine , whose arms are articulated, would embody the mythical ancestor who allegedly stole the masks from supernatural beings, making captive an old Albarga initiated to the secrets of masks. The woman initiated at the Ya Sigine is since then the only woman who can participate in dogon rituals and benefit from a masked funeral. More than eighty types of African masks are listed among the Dogon, the best known of which are the Kanaga , Sirigé, Satimbé, Walu. Most of them are used by circumcised society initiates Awa , during funeral ceremonies. The Awa refers to the masks, their costumes, and all the Dogons in the service of the masks. Some evoke animals, in reference to the rich cosmogony and mythology of African dogon art. The mask's life force, the U-002nyamaU,0022, is activated by various rituals to develop the object's full magical potential. (Source: Dogon , H.Blom)