Anthrozoomorphic Mossi Mask

Mossi mask combining anthropomorphic and zoomorphic elements. Though this piece appears to be more used, it is similar to the Rooster-Human Mask. Thomas G. B. Wheelock writes in Land of the Flying Masks: Art and Culture in Burkina Faso that Mossi masks represent totems of different lineages. “These totems are generally different animal species, but in some cases are humans, or spirits with human or animal attributes who played central roles in the myth of origin of the lineage.” A similar Mossi mask in rooster form appears on page 403 of Wheelock’s book and is attributed to the Ouagadougou style. These masks were used in performative rituals such as masquerades. This example features indigenous repairs of melted recycled materials and iron pins.

11″

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