Dimensions: H:78.7" W:10.6" L:1.2" Weight: 9.9 lbs.
Bwa Nwantantay Plank Mask from Burkina Faso - These wooden masks were created by the Bwa people of Burkina Faso to personify specific nature spirits, which are represented as humans, animals, and other abstract beings. These masks are known as nwantantay masks, and they are worn to represent the flying water spirit during funerary celebrations and market day entertainment festivities.
About the Tribe
The Bwa, also known as the Bobo-Wule, are a people from central Burkina Faso and Mali. They are well-known for using masks made of leaves or wood in ceremonial performances. The majority of Bwa people still believe in animism (the belief that nonhuman entities such as animals, plants, inanimate objects, and natural phenomena have a spiritual essence), which is reflected in their mask carvings. Masquerades are used by the Bwa to commemorate rites of passage such as initiations and funerals. The Bwa can connect with ancestors and other invisible forces that govern the natural world through these masked performances, which take place primarily during the dry season.