Dogon KANAGA Funeral MASK Antique African Art Mali Start Price USD 585.00 Current Price USD 585.00 Time Left - Bid Count 0 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Thursday, July 24, 2008 End Time Tuesday, July 29, 2008 Location Santa Fe, NM See more about 'Dogon KANAGA Funeral MASK Antique African Art Mali' Description   Dogon KANAGA Funeral MASK Antique African Art Mali     A Fine Dogon Kanaga Funeral Mask w/ HoodAntique African Art - Tribal Masque - Mali Collected from the: Dogon peoples of the Bandiagara Cliffs in Mali, West AfricaMaterial: Hardwood, sinew/animal hide bindings, pigment, fiberPeriod: Mid 20th centuryDimensions: 46.25" tall, 25" wide, 7.5" deep; weight is 7.05 poundsCondition: Exceptional. No damage or repair, good patination evidencing minor encrustation over the gorgeous, subtle tones - a splendid character ! Please click on the photos below to fully appreciate this gorgeous old piece! And be sure to see the incredible AFRICAN MASKS in our eBay store! Or explore our exquisite AFRICAN SCULPTURES! Click Images to Enlarge Dogon Mask Traditions and UseOver seventy anthropomorphic and zoomorphic mask types have been recorded among the Dogon. Made by members of the Awa society, they appear during dama memorials for the dead and the baga-bundo rites performed by small numbers of masqueraders before the burial of a male Dogon. One of the most widespread masque types is the kanaga, which represents a bird known as kommolo tebu who's origin is traced back to a mythical hunter who, having killed one of these birds, fabricated the first kanaga mask in its likeness. Since these fragile masques were often damaged or destroyed during repeated use, fully preserved examples are rarely found in Western collections. Dogon Tribal HistoryThe 300,000 Dogon inhabit approximately 700 villages in Mali, primarily along a 125 mile (200 kilometer) stretch of escarpment known as the Cliffs of Bandiagara. These sandstone cliffs run from southwest to northeast, roughly parallel to the Niger River, and attain heights up to 2000 feet 600 meters (2000 feet). Accounts of early Dogon history vary according to the specific Dogon clan and/or archaeological records consulted, with multiple versions of the Dogon origin myth as well as differing accounts of their migration from early ancestral homelands to the Bandiagara region. The people call themselves 'Dogon' or 'Dogom', but in the older literature they are most often called Habe, a Fulbe word meaning 'stranger' or 'pagan'. Certain theories suggest the tribe descended from an ancient Egyptian race that journeyed first to Libya, then on into regions of Guinea or Mauritania. Around 1490 AD, fleeing Mande invaders and/or drought, they migrated to eventually settle in the Bandiagara cliffs of central Mali. Legend has it that a snake led them to the cliffs at the southern end of the plateau, where they overwhelmed and usurped the local Tellem and Niongom populations. Carbon dating on remains excavated from the cliffs indicate the Toloy culture of the 3rd to 2nd centuries BC, and the Tellem culture of the 11th to 15th centuries AD inhabited the area long before the Dogon arrived. The influence of these earlier cultures continue to be noted in Dogon art to this day. Dogon livelihood is based on agriculture production concentrated in fields at the edge of the cliffs where water is scarce, but enough for occasional irrigation. Agricultural dependence has recently forced the Dogon to move away from their beloved cliffs onto the more fertile Bongo plains to maintain their agricultural production of millet, of vital importance to feeding the tribes. Onions, one of their only cash crops, are sold as far away as Cote d'Ivoire. Villagers are known to use bark ropes to scale the towering Bandiagara cliffs in search of pigeon guano and Tellem artifacts that are then sold to subsidize their meager existence. As the Dogon are both Muslims and Animists, their social and religious organizations are closely interlinked. Assimilation of the popular Muslim beliefs was initially somewhat limited by topographical isolation and tribal exclusivity. The four principle Dogon cults of the Awa, Lebe, Wagem, and Binu, significantly contribute to the richness and diversity of Dogon culture. For these various cults the hogon is both priest and political chief of the village. The tribe's self-defense comes primarily from their social solidarity which is based on a complex combination of philosophic and religious dogmas, with the fundamental law being the worship of ancestors. Ritual masks and corpses were enshrined in caves and used for ceremonial rituals. All Dogon villages have at least one togu na, a shelter where the men gather, and a Lebe shrine where the Hogon presides over their rituals. Cat. # bmdk1 ************************************************************************************ THANK YOU FOR SHOPPING SANTA FE AFRICAN ART !!!We strive to earn your ***** FIVE STAR ***** rating in all 4 categories! If you are not 5 star satisfied, please contact us immediately! Your Satisfaction is Unconditionally Guaranteed ! ************************************************************************************ Multiple purchases = SUBSTANTIAL savings on your shipping costs! Never a charge for handling! Special Note: To ensure the preservation of this important work, this piece will be professionally packed and shipped fully insured via the dimensional weight (oversized) rate - allowing almost any additional small piece(s) to be included in the carton at no extra cost. 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