19 - HORNBILL MASK - Southern Mali, Northern Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso - Senufo

HORNBILL MASK - Southern Mali, Northern Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso - Senufo First half of the 20th century. Wood, red and black pigments, kaolin. Dimensions: 76 cm. The mask features a face with an imposing, domed forehead; the wide eyelids each conceal a hole through which the wearer can see. The nose is long, slender, and arrowhead-shaped, overhanging a small mouth. Large, pointed ears rise on either side of the top of the head, upon which rests a bird with outstretched wings—the hornbill. The bird is decorated with geometric motifs in red, black, and white. The hornbill, an emblematic animal, holds a special place in Senufo cosmogony. Research and documentation: Coryse Mwape – Art historian specializing in ancient African art. Internal ref.: 293