Face Mask with Female Figure (satimbe)
Unknown Artist
early to mid-1900s
Medium
Wood and organic materials
Dimensions
{"overall":{"height":1.111}}
Classification
Mask
Department
African Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
James Albert and Mary Gardiner Ford Memorial Fund
Accession Number
1960.169
About this artwork
Dogon masks are worn at the end-of-mourning ceremonies called dama. The masks incarnate ancestors, which can be human, animal, or vegetal. The female figure with raised arms topping this example represents the mythical character Yasigine, who played a key role in the very first sigi celebration. Held every 60 years, the sigi ceremony commemorates the arrival of death.