BWA MASKS
The Bwa inhabit some zones of southwestern Burkina Fasso, as far as the city
of San, in Mali. They are pacific farmers.
The Bwa before was known as Bobo Ule or red Bobo, but they are not related
to the Bobo Fing or Bobo Madare.
The older Bwa masks were made with leaves, feathers and vegetal fibers. They
were used in the rituals of the Do initiatic society. Later, the Bwa began
to carve wooden masks for their rituals, being based on the masks of their
neighbors the Gurunsi/Nunuma and the Bobo.
All Bwa masks represent the spirits of the nature who have some influence
on the human being.
Now they not only use masks for initiation ceremonies, but in market days,
funerales, and rituals related to agriculture.
If you want to see interesting scenes of ritual dances with masks in Burkina
Fasso obtained by professor
Christopher D.
Roy, please click
here. Perhaps you are surprised by the big amount
photographies of ritual dances with masks exposed in this website. Ritual
dances are frequently celebrated in Burkina Fasso. These are some examples:
- Celebration of the Samo, to the west of Ouahigouya at the end of the dry
season to attract rains.
- The festival of masks of Pouni, every two odd years between March and April
at Pouni, 140 km to the west of Ouagadougou. The different ethnic groups
meet to display and interchange their masks.
- The festival Warba of Ganzourgou, that is celebrated during the month of
November in Zorgho every two years. The Warba is a Mossi ritual reserved
originally to ceremonies in enthronement or funerales. At the moment it
accompanies also weddings and other popular celebrations.
- The Festival of Masks and Arts of Dédougou (FESTIMA) that is celebrated
every two even years during the month of April in the province of Mouhoun.
If it wants to see more, please click
here (in French).
Bwa hawk mask (not available) |
 |
| 150 cm long reproduction of a Bwa hawk mask, carved by an artisan from
Burkina Fasso. The face has circular mouth and two eyes composed of concentric
circles. The mask shows extended wings and the beak is carved in a different
block of wood than the rest of the mask. The wings have decoration not only
painted, but in relief too.
Butterfly mask are like hawk masks, with the difference that butterfly mask
are characterized by a number of target-like circles distributed across the
face. |
Bwa nwantantay mask (not available) |
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150 cm long reproduction of a nwantantay mask, carved by an artisan from
Burkina Fasso.
The face has circular mouth and two eyes composed of concentric circles.
The beak is carved in a different block of wood than the rest of the mask.
A vertical protuberance evokes the abstract head of a bird and have decoration
not only pinted, but in relief too.
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