Female Figure from a Karan-Wemba (Living Ancestress) Mask
African Art
Female Figure from a Karan-Wemba (Living Ancestress) Mask
Artwork Details
Artist/Maker
Mossi Artist
Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso
Date
sixteenth century
Medium
Wood and iron
Accession #
2016.205
Dimensions
27 x 7 x 7 1/2 inches
Location
On View - Stent Family Wing, Skyway, Gallery 410
Description
This dynamically carved figure was commissioned to honor a woman who had outlived her husband and attained the rank of “living ancestress,” a beacon of wisdom. Worn with a fiber costume, the mask—understood as an active entity—performed at the funeral of the ancestress and at subsequent commemorative festivals to promote communal well-being.
Credit
Purchase through funds provided by the Richman Special Initiatives Endowment, Judy and Scott Lampert, Pamola and Guy Lescault, Barbara and Bert Levy, Barbara and Laurence Murphy, and Friends of African ArtImage Copyright
Photo by Mike Jensen
Check This Out
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Figure Composition,
Figure Composition
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Doll,
Doll
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Mask Ensemble,
Mask Ensemble
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Rooster Headdress,
Rooster Headdress
Related
Mellon-Funded Research by Rachel Platt,