Butterfly or Hawk Mask (duho)
- Artist Culture
- Bwa artist
- Date
- early 20th century
- Material
- Wood, paint, and fiber
- possibly associated with
- Western Africa and the Guinea Coast, Burkina Faso, Africa
Hauts-Bassins department, Western Africa and the Guinea Coast, Burkina Faso, Africa - Classification
- Masks, wood
- Current Location
- Not on view
- Dimensions
- 17 5/8 x 63 1/8 x 7 1/2 in. (44.8 x 160.3 x 19.1 cm)
- Credit Line
- Gift of Thomas Alexander
- Rights
- Contact Us
- Object Number
- 1877:1981
NOTES
This large mask, inspired by the wings of a bird or insect, is worn tied to the head. A bar in the back of the mask is also grasped in the teeth of the wearer to help stabilize it. The Bwa know that butterflies appear right after the first rains, so butterfly masquerades are held in the hope that rains will follow. Gallons of beer and large quantities of meat, fowl, and vegetables are prepared for the celebration where masks such as this one are worn. The Bwa people live in independent villages without chiefs, yet they are bound together by the veneration of the nature spirit Do, which is responsible for all living things. Production of the masking festivals is the responsibility of the Do society.