Mask (Kanaga)
Dogon
1 of 2
Object Label
Masks may be used at funeral ceremonies to honor and commemorate the dead as they enter the ancestral realm. Dogon dancers perform with kanaga masks at dama ceremonies honoring the dead (see the video at left). Rotating their upper bodies from the hips and swinging the masks in wide circles, the dancers imitate Amma, the creator god, who brought all things to life. Their outstretched movements symbolically spread the force of life throughout the world.
Caption
Dogon. Mask (Kanaga), 20th century. Wood, leather, pigment, vegetable fiber, 42 1/2 x 23 1/4 x 9 in. (108 x 59.1 x 22.9 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Allen C. Davis, 1995.171.11a-c. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Culture
Title
Mask (Kanaga)
Date
20th century
Geography
Place made: Sanga area, Mopti Region, Mali
Medium
Wood, leather, pigment, vegetable fiber
Classification
Dimensions
42 1/2 x 23 1/4 x 9 in. (108 x 59.1 x 22.9 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Allen C. Davis
Accession Number
1995.171.11a-c
Frequent Art Questions
Who are the Dogon?
The Dogon are a West African people living primarily in Mali. The Dogon are perhaps best known for their complex cosmology and retaining their traditional spirituality in a region that was largely converted to Islam.
Have information?
Have information about an artwork? Contact us at