Butterfly mask

Title: Butterfly Mask
Material: Carved wood painted with natural pigments (white, black, red)
Dimensions: 100 x 59 x 18 cm
Origin: Bwa, Burkina Faso
Date: 20th century
Purpose: Used in initiation rites for young people, in which the community’s moral values were transmitted. Worn in spectacular dances, with sweeping movements reminiscent of an animal’s flight. A pedagogical and spiritual tool: it embodied natural forces and served to educate, protect, and ensure the continuity of the group.
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