early 1900s
Wood and paint
Overall: 91.5 cm (36 in.)
Gift of Katherine C. White 1975.151
Dogon masks can be interpreted on two fundamentally different levels: “front speech” (giri so) reflects an early stage of knowledge and consists of a tale that is intended to arouse curiosity; and “speech of the world” (aduno so) refers to Dogon cosmogony, reserved for highly instructed men and women. Masked dances have recently been organized in Dogon regions for tourists and dignitaries.
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