ClassificationsAfrican Art

Rooster Mask

Place CreatedBurkina Faso, Africa

CultureNuna

Date20th Century

MediumWood

Credit LineEx coll. William S. Arnett

Dimensions20 1/4 x 9 13/16 x 7 1/2 in. (51.5 x 25 x 19 cm)

Object number1994.004.078

Label TextAnimal imagery is widespread in African masquerades. Traits of different animals are often fused together to create mythical creatures. Nuna masks represent protective spirits from the bush that enter the village during market days and for funerals and initiations. All nuna masks are embodiments of Su, the mask spirit, who is an element of the supremem creator god Yi. Su aids in matters of cummunal welfare and fertility. This particular mask features two animals: the rooster, which as a sacrificial animal, facilitates communication with the spirit world; and the chameleon, a creature whose ability to change color lends itself to associations with magical powers, transformation, and fertility. The rooster's red beak protrudes forward, while its ridged crest thrusts upward, morphing into the body and tail of a chameleon. The geometric designs incised on the mask are called scars, and they bear the same meanings of beauty, protection, and status carried by human scarification patterns.
Exhibition HistoryMCCM Permanent Collection Installation, November 19, 2007 - December 1, 2014
Published ReferencesMCCM Newsletter, March-May 2008, back cover.
Michael C. Carlos Museum: Highlights of the Collections (Atlanta: Michael C. Carlos Museum, 2011), 95.

ProvenanceEx coll. William S. Arnett (1939-2020), Atlanta, Georgia.

Status

Not on view

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