Fish mask Bwa Ancienne collection Antoine Lévêque Burkina... Lot 16

Fish mask Bwa Ancienne collection Antoine Lévêque Burkina Faso H: 118 cm. Wood, kaolin, pigments Oval mask bleached with kaolin. The face presents eyes in concentric circles, a nose pointed like a sparrowhawk and a diamond-shaped mouth revealing the teeth. It is surmounted by a very high wooden blade perpendicular to the plane of the mask and covered with polychrome geometric decorations enhanced with black and red pigments. The shape of the curved and stretched blade reproduces the entire body of the fish, whose fins are represented by two projections . The mask blade embodies the spirit of the waters and the spirits of nature. It is exhibited on market days or during initiations, funerals, harvest rites, etc. The wooden masks represent the protective geniuses of the village. The procession is zoomorphic in appearance and includes representations of warthogs, buffaloes, roosters and toucans. Together they embody the forces of fertility, fecundity and growth Ancient, authentic object. Circa 1960 - 1980 Consultant : Jean-Pierre Lacoste