Composite vertical mask I - Nwantantay - Monkey

Mask
Tribe Bwa
Wood, ornate
High 222 cm

Price on demant


The BWA carve abstract masks. The most impressive BWA masks are the great plank masks, named Nwantantay and represent flying spirits from the bush.
The patterns on the mask have meanings known only to initiates: the large X refer to the sacrification marks on the foreheads of initiated men; the checkerboard pattern represents the separation between good and evil, wise from stupid, male from female; the large white crescent on top of the plank denotes the "moon of the masks" that shines during the seasons when the masks perform.