CC0 · no rights reserved
Buffalo Mask
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
Among the Bwa people, masks with human, animal, and fantastic traits typically represent protective bush spirits. This mask’s horns and muzzle identify it as a bush buffalo. Masked dancers appear during the dry season for initiations, funerals of elders, market days, harvest celebrations, and annual renewal rituals to protect the well-being of the community.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineBuffalo Mask, early to mid-1900s. Africa, West Africa, Burkina Faso, possibly Bwa-style maker. Wood, plant fibers, paint, and iron; overall: 69.8 cm (27 1/2 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Katherine C. White, 1969.2
