| Mossi chief's figure |
| A highly expressive Mossi chief's figure 13" tall wood, pigment Provenance - Matarengo Gallery, Paris Ex private French collection Figures such as this are identified with local chiefs and clan elders. These figures would be placed on a royal shrine and brought out to worship the ancestors represented by these figures during ceremonies reinforcing local political relationships and chiefly authority. Such figures are also used at funerals and in some areas they are buried with the deceased. During yearly public ceremonies figures honoring ancestors will have cloths wrapped around their waists similar to cloths worn by Mossi women. CLICK HERE to go to the excellent article: "Mossi Political Art: Royal Figures for the Ruling Elite" by Christopher Roy (link will open in a new window) |
