Nwantantay Plank Mask

Origin: Bwa Tribe, Burkina Faso
Composition: wood, pigment dyes

Tall plank masks such as this example are the major artistic expression of the southern Bwa. The masks are signboards or tablets on which the graphic pattern communicate the ethical and moral values of the community. The alternating geometric patters on the front and back of the mask represent the separation between good and evil, wisdom and innocence, male and female, etc., and also the “path of the ancestors,” a difficult moral path that all people must follow if they are to succeed in life (Ref: Roy, Land of the Flying Masks. Roy, "The Art of Burkina Faso").

This mask was purchased directly from the tribe in Burkina Faso in 2007. The "beak" on the front of the mask is carved from a separate piece of wood, and attached with a nail and natural materials.