Kanaga awa danu Dogon mask, Mali - Lot 116

Kanaga awa danu Dogon mask, Mali Medium-hard wood, pigments, leather, fibers H. 105 cm - L. 62 cm Provenance: Etude Arcadia, sale June 19, 2005, reproduced under lot 189 Estimate: 1,200/1,800 euros The various interpretations (of the kanaga) are related to the myth of mask creation, knowledge of which is gradually being imparted to members of the awa association. This mask is identified by the uninitiated as the komolo tebu bird (a species of bustard whose white belly and wings are the same color as the mask's shaft). For those in the know, it evokes the Creator, showing Heaven with one hand and Earth with the other. (In. Masques du Pays Dogon, Société nouvelle Adam Biro, Paris, 2001, pp. 110-115). A fine example of the type used locally.