The Mossi people have a rich repertoire of masks (for a more detailed explanation see cat. no. 22).
The present mask of the ‘karan wemba’ type displays an oval, concave mask face with a vertical, jagged central ridge and small, rectangular eyes. Attached to the mask face is a finely executed antelope head with curved horns and relief decoration. Behind this, a geometrically shaped short ‘plank’, decorated in geometrical relief on the front and back, ‘grows’ out of the mask head. Atop this plank crest is a large, typical female figure of the Mossi (H: 47 cm) representing a female ancestor (tribe or clan mother). The female figure also displays relief decoration on the body, as well as typical tribal scarification marks on the face and around the navel.
The entire high mask is carved from a single piece of brown wood and dyed dark brown, white and red. It displays an overall very good, old usage patina (especially on the inside of the mask). With insignificant age damage (old tears to the head of the figure and to the mask, colour scuffed, minor pieces broken off on the back rim), and with two interesting, old original repairs: the neck of the antelope head was probably once glued with black tree resin, and the crest plank obviously had an old crack that was repaired with a piece of leather and small nails. First half of the 20th century; H: 116 cm. (ME)

Lit.: ‘Die Kunst des schwarzen Afrika' by Kerchache, Paudrat, Stephan, ill. 306; ‘The Tribal Arts of Africa’ by Jean-Baptiste Bacquart, p. 69, ill. 14; ‘Encyclopedia of African Art and Culture’ by K.-F. Schädler, ill.: p. 442.