Lot 59A
West Africa, Mali, Dogon, ca. late 19th to early 20th century CE. A monumental Dogon kanaga mask of painted wood, standing an imposing six feet in height, its towering double-barred cross form alive with geometric rhythm and cosmic symbolism. This striking type, among the most celebrated of Dogon mask traditions, was described by Elsy Leuzinger as an "object of cosmic significance," the cross itself symbolically referring to the divine order of the universe. The superstructure consists of a vertical plank crowned by two finely carved human figures and intersected by a pair of horizontal crossbars, each terminating in short vertical projections. These forms hold multiple layers of meaning in Dogon cosmology: the bars may represent arms and legs of a deity, the arrangement of the world with the upper bar as the sky and the lower as the earth, or mythic creatures of origin such as a bird in flight or a crocodile. Size: 4.6" L x 28" W x 72" H (11.7 cm x 71.1 cm x 182.9 cm)
Painted in an alternating palette of white, red, and black, the diamond motifs running the length of the plank add both visual cadence and symbolic depth, the white in particular evoking the spirit world.
The kanaga mask occupies a central role in the dama, the elaborate funeral rites through which the Dogon people honor the dead, guide their souls away from the village, and reaffirm social and cosmic order. Traditionally, the Awa Society controls the use of such masks, ensuring their sacred protocols are observed. When performed, the dancer wears a hood of plaited fiber fringe, a black and red strip-woven vest embroidered with cowrie shells and bead strands, indigo-dyed trousers, and layered skirts of dyed plant fibers whose preparation is guarded with as much ritual secrecy as the carving of the mask itself. The kanaga dance, athletic and acrobatic, sees the superstructure sweep low and rise high, tracing the invisible geometry that bridges earth and sky.
In the Sanga region, where French anthropologist Marcel Griaule documented Dogon traditions in the early 20th century, kanaga masks were among the most common and symbolically charged. Griaule recorded both literal interpretations - such as the bird with white wings and black forehead - as well as esoteric ones known only to initiates, underscoring the mask's layered cosmological significance. This rare late 19th to early 20th century example, with its extraordinary scale, sculptural refinement, and well-preserved polychromy, embodies the aesthetic and spiritual gravitas of Dogon artistry - an enduring testament to the way material form becomes a vessel for cosmic meaning.
Provenance: Ralph T. Coe Center for the Arts, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA, acquired in 2010 via descent; ex-private collection of Ralph T. Coe, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA, purchased in November 2005; ex-Dr. Peter T. Furst
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#195889
- Condition: Missing vertical extension on upper proper right cross-bar. Some stable hairline fissures and chipping in areas, commensurate with age. Abrasions to forehead and nose of top right figure. Rich patina throughout with liberal remains of pigments.
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