Mask

Item number 1373/20 from the MOA: University of British Columbia.

Public

Item Records

This page shows all the information we have about this item. Both the institution that physically holds this item, and RRN members have contributed the knowledge on this page. You’re looking at the item record provided by the holding institution. If you scroll further down the page, you’ll see the information from RRN members, and can share your own knowledge too.

The RRN processes the information it receives from each institution to make it more readable and easier to search. If you’re doing in-depth research on this item, be sure to take a look at the Data Source tab to see the information exactly as it was provided by the institution.

These records are easy to share because each has a unique web address. You can copy and paste the location from your browser’s address bar into an email, word document, or chat message to share this item with others.

Data
Data Source

This information was automatically generated from data provided by MOA: University of British Columbia. It has been standardized to aid in finding and grouping information within the RRN. Accuracy and meaning should be verified from the Data Source tab.

Description

Mask with two horn-like projections that point upward and curve convexly. The horn-like pieces are linked together in the middle by a square decorated with a white X-like design, on a black background. The horn-like pieces are decorated with red-brown, white-grey, and black geometric designs of lines, triangles, and squares. The helmet part is decorated with red-brown, white-grey, and black triangles on the upper half and horizontal lines on the bottom half which extend to two squares which protrude outward at the sides of both ends. The eyes are carved out as vertical rectangles. The nose, mouth with teeth, and beard are geometric rectanglur features. Fibre rope is threaded through the holes made along the sides of the mask.

History Of Use

Mossi masks, representing the ancestors, appear during burial and successive memorial services to ensure fidelity to established ritual, judge the deceased’s merit, and dispatch his spirit from the household he inhabited. They are also used in initiation ceremonies. Yali masks represent small children.