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Mask (kanaga)
Dogon
20th century, 1950–2000
Object Place: Mali
Medium/Technique
Wood, leather, rope, pigment
Dimensions
Overall: 98 x 55 x 21 cm (38 9/16 x 21 5/8 x 8 1/4 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Geneviève McMillan in memory of Reba Stewart
Accession Number2009.2711
NOT ON VIEW
CollectionsContemporary Art, Africa and Oceania
ClassificationsSculpture
Kanaga masks are among more than seventy-eight different Dogon mask types, ranging from animals and humans to abstract configurations. Kanaga masks facilitated the transition of the deceased into the realm of ancestorhood during complex funerary rituals organized by Ava (or Awa), a men's society. Such masks are among the most famous and sought-after works in African art. Tourists have visited Dogon country and purchased similar masks produced for the market since the 1930s.
ProvenanceLate 1960s, acquired in Paris by Geneviève McMillan (b. 1922 - d. 2008), Cambridge, MA; 2008, to the Geneviève McMillan and Reba Stewart Foundation, Cambridge; 2009, gift of the Geneviève McMillan and Reba Stewart Foundation to the MFA. (Accession Date: June 17, 2009)