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Face Mask with Female Figure (satimbe)

early to mid-1900s
Wood and organic materials
Overall: 111.1 cm (43 3/4 in.)
James Albert and Mary Gardiner Ford Memorial Fund 1960.169
Location: not on view
Public Domain
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Description

Dogon masks are worn at the end-of-mourning ceremonies called dama. The masks incarnate ancestors, which can be human, animal, or vegetal. The female figure with raised arms topping this example represents the mythical character Yasigine, who played a key role in the very first sigi celebration. Held every 60 years, the sigi ceremony commemorates the arrival of death.
Face Mask with Female Figure (satimbe)

Face Mask with Female Figure (satimbe)

early to mid-1900s

Africa, West Africa, Mali, Dogon-style blacksmith-carver

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