Plank Mask (Karan Wemba)

We can infer that this mask was likely made before World War II because in the interim, climate change and exhaustion of the soil—a result of intensive farming—have destroyed all of the trees in northern Burkina Faso large enough to create a mask this size. The top of this example features female figures representing twins, indicating that it was danced to mark the death of a woman elder; it guarded and escorted her corpse to the grave. Such masks were intended to honor ancestral spirits and would also participate in annual memorials during the dry season, collectively commemorating all those who had died during the preceding year.