“The various tribes living in Burkina Faso (formerly Upper-Volta), Ghana and Togo cultivate millet and cotton, and rear cattle in the northern savannah regions. Their religious activities are dictated by the rhythm of the seasons – during the dry season in particular, when the fields are fallow, large festivals and ceremonies are organized.

The 22,000 Tussian people of south-west Burkina Faso carved masks called Loniake – a square plank of wood pierced with two eyes surmounted by the clan’s emblem: a pair of horns or a bird’s head. These masks were worn during initiation ceremonies.
Tussian headdresses, called Kable, are stylistically influenced by the Senufo. They are used during rites associated with the purification of villages and at funerals. Often, they have an oily patina resulting from numerous libations of palm oil.

Source:
Baquart, Jean-Baptiste. The Tribal Arts of Africa. New York: Thames and Hudson Inc. 1998. Print.