The Bobo number about 130,000 and live in the countries of Burkina Faso, and Mali. They are an ancient amalgamation of several peoples who have assembled around a number of core clans. Their lives are regulated by a council of elders. The do not believe in giving one person the powerful status of chief. The Bobo god, creator of earth and animals, is Wuro, who formed the world from a ball of mud. He cannot be described and is not represented by sculptures The first man created according to Bobo legend was a blacksmith named Dwo a son of the Wuro. Dwo was the intermediary between humankind and the creator. Since it is proper to make amends for the errors of humankind, masks are utilized during purification ceremonies to erase evil and reinstating the God-given balance between sun, earth, and rain and man. At the end of the dry season and before the harvest begins, purification ceremonies take place using masks of wood, which may represent Dwo or protective spirits. All of them incarnate the forces of fertility, fecundity, and growth. The masks symbolizing animals or spirits such as the warthog, rooster, toucan, fish, antelope, serpent, and hawk are worn during ceremonies associated with new crops, initiations and funerals. The fusion of animal spirits and man are a common Bobo mask theme often resulting in massive structural creations that tower above the dancers head. Among the Bobo, the sacredness of the mask derives from the fact that the divinity is considered to be present in the mask. The wearer is depersonalized, erases himself and takes on the personality of the deity or spirit.

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Dimensions: The entire mask is 52 inches tall x 13 1/2 inches wide x 9 1/2 inches deep. The top figure is 21 1/4 inches tall. The mask is 25 1/2 inches tall.

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