Nwantantay Plank Mask of the Bwa: What It Was For and Why It Matters
Bwa | Burkina Faso | Initiation / Nature Spirit
What was it for?
Nwantantay plank masks honour the flying spirits of nature and water. They appear at initiations, at burials, at rites of renewal for planting and harvest, and at the consecration of new masks. The mask is attached to a full fibre costume, and its patterns carry moral teaching for the young people learning to read them.
What does it look like?
A tall vertical plank, sometimes two metres high, with a circular face at its base, hooks at the front and back and a diamond shaped mouth. The plank is covered in geometric patterns such as checkerboards, zigzags and concentric circles. The dancer holds the mask steady by gripping a fibre rope in his teeth.
Why does it matter?
The patterns are not decoration. The checkerboard stands for light and dark, good and evil, youth and elders, and the other designs carry moral lessons that initiates learn to read. A Bwa plank mask comes close to being a text: those who know the code receive the full teaching, while others see only beautiful shapes.
One thing most people never know
Wooden masks are a relatively recent arrival among the Bwa. They were adopted from neighbouring peoples within the past century, while the older Do (Dwo) tradition used masks made of leaves. The famous plank masks are therefore part of a living tradition that has continued to change.
Further reading: the source record for this entry.
This entry is part of the SEVICS Africa archive of 100 African masks. If you own a mask like this and want to know more about it, try our Mask Identifier.
