List 2/37 - Model: 112436
This small but incredible carving depicts an antelope which is a supernatural and powerful bush spirit of the Bobo people of Burkina Faso. The Bobo are farmers that grow sorghum, millet, yams and maize for food crops, and cotton and peanuts as cash crops. Their subsistence is heavily dependant on rainfall for good harvests. Since they believe that every act that takes something from nature has a negative impact, they practice purification rituals in order to reconcile themselves with nature. Bush spirits masks erase evil and reinstate God-given balance between sun, earth and rain.
This wooden mask is 12 inches long, 6.5 inches at its widest, and 3.5 inches deep. These carvings are handed down through generations, gaining spiritual power with use and age.
