Original price was: $350.00.$175.00Current price is: $175.00.
1 in stock
This mask was carved in the style of the Gurunsi people of Burkina Faso. This interesting head crest mask features a carved animal face with an elongated crest. The mask measures 18.25 inches tall and weighs 1.5 pounds. The piece is in fair condition with minor imperfections – see photos. Stand is not included.
This is a piece from the Dave Dahl Collection. Please feel free to contact us with your best offers! Please include item title or SKU.
| Type of Object | Mask |
|---|---|
| Country of Origin | Burkina Faso |
| Ethnicity | Gurunsi |
| Material | Wood and pigment |
| Approximate Age | Unknown |
| Height (Inches) | 18.25" |
| Width (Inches) | 5.5" |
| Depth (Inches) | 9" |
| Weight (Pounds) | 1.5 lbs |
| Overall Condition | fair with minor imperfections – see photos |
“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.