Burkina Faso, Black Volta River region
Bwa  

Wood, pigment
ca. Early – Mid 1900s
Height: 15 in; Width: 68 in
Other – Regalia – Mask

The Bwa People of Burkina Faso dance with a number of wooden masks.  These masks represent a number of characters in the myths of their families and clans. Masks may represent diverse animals including the antelope, bush buffalo, monkey, bush pig, crocodiles and fish.  Serpents, and insects including the butterfly, as well as birds including hawks and vultures, have all become characters in the myths of their families and clans.

This large wooden ‘Hawk’ Mask (or sometimes called duba, meaning vulture), consists of a broad, horizontal plank, representing a hawk’s wings, spans five feet six inches.  Painted on the front side of the wings is a large zigzag pattern and an area of plain white surface.  These horizontal zigzag lines signify the peaks and valleys in the difficult moral path which villagers must follow of their ancestors if they are to succeed in life.  Projecting from the center is a large hook representing the hawk’s beak.  This mask is danced by the Bwa representing the hawk, a protective animal spirit. Represented on the back of the mask is a play on opposites in patches of dark and light, ignorance and knowledge. 

This venerated graphic example of the animist beliefs of the Bwa is still practiced in Burkina, despite the growing Muslim population.  In performance the dancer swoops his body and mask from side to side in energetic movements to the sounds of the beating drums.

The Bwa masks are spectacular and an essential part of the masquerades during initiations, funerals, harvest festivals, at market day dances, and for the annual renewal ceremonies.  These annual renewal ceremonies (during the dry season between March and May), honor the nature spirits who watch over and promote their well-being. 

Today Bwa plank masks have become an important symbol of national identity and are pictured on the currency of Burkina Faso.                               

Resource:  https://randafricanart.com/Bwa_hawk.html