This mask was carved in the style of the Gurunsi people of Burkina Faso. It features an animated face with circular, protruding eyes and a large curved crest coming from the top of the head. There is some cracks on the left side of the face and a missing left ear and horn. The mask is 25.5 inches tall and weighs 5.5 pounds. Stand is not included.
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Gurunsi Style African Mask 25.5″ Burkina Faso
Original price was: $275.00.$165.00Current price is: $165.00.
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| Type of Object | Mask |
|---|---|
| Country of Origin | Burkina Faso |
| Ethnicity | Gurunsi |
| Material | Wood, Pigment |
| Approximate Age | Unknown |
| Height (Inches) | 25.5" |
| Width (Inches) | 7.5" |
| Depth (Inches) | 12" |
| Weight (Pounds) | 5.5 lbs |
| Overall Condition | Crack through the left side of the face, missing left ear and horn – scrapes, scuffs |
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.