This mask was carved in the style of the Gurunsi people of Burkina Faso. It features a large bird face with an elongated beak that has raffia attached to it. The mask measures 14 inches tall and 20.25 inches on its custom stand and weighs 8 pounds. There is some damage to the beak, cracking and scratches throughout – please inspect photos.
Sale!
Gurunsi Bird Mask on Stand 20.25″ – Burkina Faso – African Tribal Art
Original price was: $500.00.$125.00Current price is: $125.00.
1 in stock
| Type of Object | Mask |
|---|---|
| Country of Origin | Burkina Faso |
| Ethnicity | Gurunsi |
| Material | Wood, Pigment, Raffia |
| Approximate Age | Unknown |
| Height (Inches) | 14" mask | 20.25" on stand |
| Width (Inches) | 8.75” |
| Depth (Inches) | 9" |
| Weight (Pounds) | 2 lbs mask | 8 lbs on stand |
| Overall Condition | Damage to beak, cracks, scrapes |
Tribe Information
About the Gurunsi People
“A number of tribes who speak dialects of the Gur language have been grouped together under the name Gurunsi. They number 200,000 and spend the dry season hunting and fishing. Gurunsi masks represent bush spirits and are characterized by eyes set within concentric circles. They are worn by dancers during funerals, initiation ceremonies, fertility rites and market-day festivities.
Gurunsi figures are less well known in the West, but have a role in divination rituals.
Gurunsi people wear ivory and bronze bracelets and like other tribes in the region, carve wooden flutes.”
Source:
Baquart, Jean-Baptiste. The Tribal Arts of Africa. New York: Thames and Hudson Inc. 1998. Print.