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Plank Mask (Luruya)

A work made of wood and pigment.

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  • A work made of wood and pigment.

Date:

Late 19th or early 20th century

Artist:

Bwa
Burkina Faso
Northern Africa and the Sahel

About this artwork

A specific group of families controls the production and performances of this type of abstract wooden plank mask with geometric designs in red, black, and white. Stemming from the village of Boni and belonging to the Bondé family, this mask was performed in honor of a historic ancestor. He was a person of short stature and is remembered as a masterful hunter who spent long periods of time alone in the forest.

Status

On View, Gallery 137

Department

Arts of Africa

Culture

Bwa

Title

Plank Mask (Luruya)

Place

Burkina Faso (Object made in)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1867–1933

Medium

Wood and pigment

Dimensions

63.5 × 22.9 × 14 cm (25 × 9 × 5 1/2 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of Joan Faletti Scottberg, the Faletti Family Collection

Reference Number

2000.313

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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