Complete kanaga mask

The mask of the Dogon people is not only a wooden or plaited element, depending on the construction of the mask, worn on the face or head, but it is a whole figure dressed in a complete costume and holding appropriate dance props in its hands. The kanaga mask consists of a wooden part put on the face and a woven neck cover that hides the cords and narrow strips of cloth, which is the whole structure used to fix the mask on the head. The shield, apart from its practical use, also has the character of an unusual decoration. Thanks to the loose tassels of fibres attached to its upper edge, adhering directly to the wooden mask, it creates a kind of mane, which constantly moves, tenderly reacting to every slightest movement of the dancer. Other mask elements include a woven openwork breastplate decorated with kauri shells and glass beads, covering only the breasts, a black woven skirt with long twisted fibres and two shorter skirts made of superficial yellow and red fibres. The mask is completed with bracelets made of superficial red and yellow fibres tied to the dancer's arms and wrists. Cotton trousers, hand-woven, indigo dyed dark blue, are also an essential element of kanaga, but, unfortunately, the piece is missing from the set in question. The dancing masks hold stallions in their hands, which they brandish to the rhythm of the music.The symbolism of the kanaga mask is very complex. Some Dogon represents a bird of prey with outstretched wings; for others, it symbolises a human. The old Dogon see it as a representation of the god Amma and the universe he created.

Ewa Prądzyńska