Wentzel Collection 3

wentzel3

Bwa/Nuna, Burkina Faso
Buffalo Mask (lalo), n.d.
Pigment on wood
25″ x 16″ x 7″
UWM Art Collection, 2008.016
Gift of Mark and Mary Jo Wentzel

Buffalo or “Bush Cow” (Iola) masks appear in masquerades of the Bwa, Nuna, and related people of Upper Volta, now called Burkina Faso. These masks are owned by large families or “clans,” and represent ancient encounters in the “Bush” with wild spirits that were tamed and converted to beneficial beings by clan ancestors.

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