Mali

Mid 20th c

Ex: San Antonio, TX collection

Sold

This mask features a geometrical head with triangle shaped eye holes, wedge shaped nose, protruding cone shaped mouth surmounted by tall planks with double crossed shaft. Kanaga masks are thought to represent a bird or a symbol of God. These masks were worn at a collective funerary rite called Dama. The ritual was to ensure the safe passage of spirits of the deceased into the world of ancestors.