1. Wooden face masks, Bongase, 1967
- Description:
- Two carved wooden masks which are worn during masquerade dances celebrating special occasions among Muslim Ligbi communities in the Banda area are displayed. The masks pictured here were photographed in 1967 by René A. Bravmann, then a doctoral student at Indiana University studying African art history. The mask pictured left (13.25 inches in length) represents a thrush (Kokogyinaka in Ligbi). The one on the right (9.75 inches in length) is a "beautiful Gonja woman" (Gbanyamuso in Ligbi). The masks are periodically renewed with pigments made from plants and earthen materials. This masking tradition is referred to by scholars as "Do" but it is referred to in Bongase as "Bedu." For additional details, see Bravmann, René A. (1974) "Islam and Tribal Art in West Africa" (Cambridge University Press), pp. 147-177. A 2019 performance of Gbanyamuso at a Banda Heritage Event can be viewed through a link below. Bongase, December, 1967.
- Rights:
- Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
- Publisher:
- University of Victoria Libraries
- Relation:
- https://exhibits.library.uvic.ca/spotlight/iaff/catalog/17-17130; https://exhibits.library.uvic.ca/spotlight/iaff/catalog/17-19216
- Location(s) Facet:
- Bongase
- Subjects:
- Bedu; Do; Thrush
- Subjects Facet:
- Gonja (African people); Wood carvings; Masks; Ligbi language; Islam; Masquerades; Regalia
- Identifier:
- Negative 8a/9
- Creator:
- Dr. René A. Bravmann
- Contributors:
- Dr. René A. Bravmann
- Date searchable:
- 1967
- Date searchable:
- 1967-12
- Genre:
- Black-and-white negative
- Genre Facet:
- Black-and-white negative
- Format:
- Image
- Location(s):
- Bongase;8.238039, -2.276274
- Date Digitized:
- 2019-09-20
- People Facet:
- Dr. René A. Bravmann
- Commentary:
- Negative scanned by Ann B. Stahl
- Geographic Coordinates:
- 8.238039, -2.276274
