Gurunsi Plank Mask 58″ On Stand – Burkina Faso – African Art*

$250.00

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This mask was carved in the style of the Gurunsi people of Burkina Faso. It features an animal face with geometric patterns covering the whole mask. The mask is meant to sit on top of the head with the snout facing outward. The mask measures 50 inches tall alone but 58 inches on the stand and weighs 7 pounds. The mask is in good condition with some scuffing and wear and tear – please inspect photos carefully.

Type of Object

Mask and custom stand

Country of Origin

Burkina Faso

Ethnicity

Gurunsi

Material

Wood, Pigment

Approximate Age

Unknown

Height (Inches)

50" Mask | 58" w/ Stand

Width (Inches)

9.5"

Depth (Inches)

6"

Weight (Pounds)

7lb Mask | 12lbs w/ Stand

Overall Condition

Minor wear but good overall condition

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.