African Mask 'Kanaga' Dogon tribe, Mali C 1950

View Similar Items

Dogon Tribe Hardwood Carved Rhythm Pounder from Mali, Africa

African Tribal Dogon Peoples (Mali) Pigment, Fiber, Hardwood Walu Antelope Mask

African mask Yaure tribe Ivory Coast Circa 1950

Old Exceptional Rare Knife From The Dogon Tribe Mali Bandiagara African Art 19th

Antique Dogon Forged Iron Horse and Rider Figure, Mali, Africa

Large Dogon Ladder, Mali

African Statue 'Boli' Bambara Mali C1950

Geometric Barmbara Sukuru Animal Mask with horns, teeth, Mali, West Africa

Weathered Archaic Bambara Wood Mask Fragment, Mali, Africa, Early 20th C.

Magical Barbara Antelope Mask Mirrors Seeds Cowries Mali, Africa ex Willis

A Dogon Tribe Toguna Post from Mali (Mid 20th C.) on Custom Iron Stand

African Bird Mask From The Dan Tribe, Ivory Coast, early 1900

About the Item

Mask 'Kanaga' Dogon tribe, Mali Circa 1950 Provenance: Swedish private collection, from the 1970s. Then inherited within the family One of the most popular types of masks in the Sanga region is the type known as kanaga. Like other Dogon masks, kanaga masks are worn at rituals called dama, whose goal is to transport the souls of deceased family members away from the village and to enhance the prestige of the deceased and his descendants by magnificent masked performances and generous displays of hospitality. These masks are characterized by a wooden superstructure in the form of a double-barred cross with short vertical elements projecting from the tips of each horizontal bar. When the mask is worn, the back of the dancer's head is covered with a hood of plaited fiber fringe at the bottom edge. The dancer wears a vest made of black strip-woven cloth and red broadcloth strips embroidered with white cowrie-shells; strands of glass and plastic beads dangle from its edges. The kanaga dancer also wears a pair of trousers made of indigo-dyed, strip-woven cotton cloth, over which he ties a long skirt of curly, loosely strung, black-dyed sanseveria fibers and short overskirts of straight red and yellow fibers. For a traditional dama, the preparation and dyeing of the fibers are undertaken with as much secrecy and ritual as the carving of the wooden mask. The deeper meaning of the kanaga mask apparently pertains both to God, the crossbars being his arms and legs, and to the arrangement of the universe, with the upper crossbar representing the sky and the lower one the earth. The disparity between these two interpretations illustrates the gaps in our understanding of Dogon art.

Dimensions:
Height: 37.41 in (95 cm)Width: 18.12 in (46 cm)Depth: 5.52 in (14 cm)
Style:
Tribal (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Wood
Place of Origin:
Mali
Period:
Mid-20th Century
Date of Manufacture:
circa 1950
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use.
Seller Location:
Paris, FR
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU7883235659742

More From This Seller

View All

African mask Yaure tribe Ivory Coast Circa 1950

Located in Paris, FR

African mask from Yaure tribe in Ivory Coast Circa 1950. Beautiful dark patina. Swedish private collection, from the 1980s then inherited within the family. Yaure tribe art is renow...

Category

Mid-20th Century Ivorian Tribal Tribal Art

Materials

Wood

African mask Yaure tribe Ivory Coast Circa 1950

$2,002

African Statue 'Boli' Bambara Mali C1950

Located in Paris, FR

African Statue 'Boli' Bambara Mali C1950 Zoomorphic altar statuette (Boli). Kono tribe. Provenance: Swedish private collection, inherited with the Fam...

Category

Mid-20th Century Malian Tribal Tribal Art

Materials

Earthenware

African Statue 'Boli' Bambara Mali C1950

$1,059

African Bwa leper mask Burkina Fasso 20em S

Located in Paris, FR

Bwa mask from Burkina Fasso Burkina Faso, Black Volta River region Culture: Bwa peoples Provenance: Private Swedish collection Bwa plank masks are conceive...

Category

Mid-20th Century Burkinabe Tribal Tribal Art

Materials

Wood, Paint

African Bwa leper mask Burkina Fasso 20em S

$1,413

African mask Toussiana bird Burkina Faso Mid XXem

Located in Paris, FR

Toussiana Plank Bird from Burkina Faso Mid XXem Provenance: private Swedish collection , auction The TOUSSIAN live in the Southwest of Burkina Faso. The mask presented here is a Loni...

Category

Mid-20th Century Burkinabe Tribal Tribal Art

Materials

Wood

African mask Toussiana bird Burkina Faso Mid XXem

$1,060

African statue Senoufo Horserider stylised figure , Ivory Coast C 1950s

Located in Paris, FR

Statue of a rider on his mount from among the Senufo tribe settled in the north of Côte d'Ivoire. Carved from dense wood. beautiful patina. The statue has a custom made acrylic base....

Category

Mid-20th Century Ivorian Tribal Tribal Art

Materials

Shell, Raffia, Acrylic, Wood, Carbon Fiber

African statue Senoufo Horserider stylised figure , Ivory Coast C 1950s

$2,827

African sculpture Kanuri-Hausa Headdress, "burtu" Kanuri-Hausa, Nigeria

Located in Paris, FR

Kanuri-Hausa Headdress, "burtu" Kanuri-Hausa, Nigeria Headdress, "burtu Kanuri-Hausa, Nigeria wood leather horn. H 42 cm. Provenance : - Swedish private...

Category

Mid-20th Century Nigerian Tribal Tribal Art

Materials

Leather, Wood

African sculpture Kanuri-Hausa Headdress, "burtu" Kanuri-Hausa, Nigeria

$2,768

Mid-20th Century Malian Tribal Tribal Art

Materials

Hardwood

Dogon Tribe Hardwood Carved Rhythm Pounder from Mali, Africa

$1,950

African Tribal Dogon Peoples (Mali) Pigment, Fiber, Hardwood Walu Antelope Mask

Located in Nottingham, GB

There are nearly eighty styles of Dogon masks, and for the most part they all utilize the use of various geometric shapes in their design, independent of the various animals they are...

Category

Early 20th Century Tribal Art

Materials

Natural Fiber, Hardwood

African Tribal Dogon Peoples (Mali) Pigment, Fiber, Hardwood Walu Antelope Mask

$4,842

Free Shipping

Old Exceptional Rare Knife From The Dogon Tribe Mali Bandiagara African Art 19th

Located in Leuven, BE

Old Exceptional Rare Circumcision Knife From The Dogon Tribe Mali Bandiagara African Art 19th century Anthropomorphic Figure People: Dogon Country: Mali Period: 19th century / Early ...

Category

Antique Late 19th Century Malian Tribal Art

Materials

Wood

Old Exceptional Rare Knife From The Dogon Tribe Mali Bandiagara African Art 19th

$2,647

Antique Dogon Forged Iron Horse and Rider Figure, Mali, Africa

Located in Point Richmond, CA

Dogon forged iron horse with figure. figure wears a crested hat and has one hand on reins, the other curved up in the air for balance. It is in good condition, appropriate for its a...

Category

Mid-20th Century Malian Tribal Tribal Art

Materials

Iron

Antique Dogon Forged Iron Horse and Rider Figure, Mali, Africa

$450

Large Dogon Ladder, Mali

Located in Point Richmond, CA

Large Dogon ladder, Mali Wood Early to mid-20th century Measures: 75.5 x 14 in. / 192 x 36 cm With a textured, eroded patina, this ladder was originally used outdoors. Ca...

Category

Mid-20th Century Malian Other Tribal Art

Materials

Wood

Large Dogon Ladder, Mali

$3,900

Geometric Barmbara Sukuru Animal Mask with horns, teeth, Mali, West Africa

Located in Point Richmond, CA

Geometric Barmbara Sukuru Animal Mask with horns, teeth, Mali, West Africa. Inserted wood teeth, abstract face with open eyes, raised eyebrows and framed face. Old native repair wi...

Category