Hornbill initiation mask - Raphia, Wood - Tussian - Burkina Faso - 59 cm

This rare type of mask was used in initiation ceremonies. The masks were made by the physician. The mask is cut from a square piece of hardwood and called Loniake. At the top is the head of a big bird (the Calao) , which symbolizes the spirit of the initiated boy's clan / totem. The Toussian are a small group in the southwestern part of Burkina Faso (formerly Haute-Volta) . They form a smaller group of people than their neighbors, the more famous Senufo. A mask of this type is shown and described on pages 76-77 Werner Schmalenbach. African art from the Barbier-Mueller Collection, Geneva. Munich: Prestel, 1988. Careful registered and insured shipment