African Antique Dogon Kanaga Spirit Mask From Mali 506

  
African Dogon Kanaga spirit mask from the people of Mali with pigment decoration in white and black. Measurement: 38" long x 25" wide. The place where the sacred dances are held is invaded by more than eighty different types of masks. Of these, the most numerous are the kanaga. The kanaga has become an emblem of the Dogon.

It is so well know that is often used as an emblem of the Mali Republic. To the uninitiated, it appears to be a bird of prey with outspread wings. However, any attempts by art historians to put meanings to these famous masks are just guesses. The kanaga is topped with a short pole intersected by two parallel blades. At the ends of the blades are boards, which point upwards on the top blades and downwards on the bottom blade.

For those who have attained knowledge through initiation, it symbolizes man, axis of the world, pointing to both earth and sky. Another interpretation links kanaga to the water insect that implanted in the soil the first seed from which all other seed sprung. The flat, crushed shape of the pole evokes the fall of the first troublemaker, Ogo, the fox.

What ever the meaning is today, may not have been the meaning of the first kanaga masks. No one can say what they originally meant, not even the Dogon. All of these interpretations are included in the dance of the Dama. A dancer with rapid movement of the upper body sweeps the mask close to the ground, evoking the creation by Amma. Packaging your fragile piece of art requires special attention and we do our best to make sure your piece arrives in good condition.

Again please feel free to ask any questions if you need more information. The item "AFRICAN ANTIQUE DOGON KANAGA SPIRIT MASK FROM MALI 506" is in sale since Monday, October 22, 2018. This item is in the category "Antiques\Ethnographic\African\Masks". The seller is "eclectic2018" and is located in Santa Fe, New Mexico. This item can be shipped to United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Denmark, Romania, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Czech republic, Finland, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Estonia, Australia, Greece, Portugal, Cyprus, Slovenia, Japan, China, Sweden, South Korea, Indonesia, Taiwan, South africa, Thailand, Belgium, France, Hong Kong, Ireland, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria, Bahamas, Israel, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore, Switzerland, Norway, Saudi arabia, Ukraine, United arab emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Croatia, Malaysia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa rica, Panama, Trinidad and tobago, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Viet nam, Uruguay.

• Tribe: Dogon
• Original/Reproduction: Original
• Material: Wood