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Gurunsi Plank Mask 42″ w Stand – Burkina Faso – African Art

$225.00

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This mask was carved in the style of the Gurunsi people of Burkina Faso. It features a zoomorphic face with sharp teeth and geometric patterns. On top of the plank stands two figures. The mask itself is 40 inches tall, 42.5 inches including custom stand, and weighs 6.5 pounds. There is some cracking and general wear and tear throughout the piece – please inspect photos carefully.

Type of Object

Face Mask

Country of Origin

Burkina Faso

Ethnicity

Gurunsi

Material

Wood, Pigment

Approximate Age

Unknown

Height (Inches)

40" mask | 42" including stand

Width (Inches)

10"

Depth (Inches)

8"

Weight (Pounds)

6.5 lbs mask | 8 lbs including stand

Overall Condition

Some cracking, scuffing and general wear and tear throughout.

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.