A beautiful Dogon 'Walu' Tribal mask sourced from Mali. The Dogon continue a tradition which commemorates the origin of death. They believed death came about as a result of primeval man's transgressions against the divine order. Every few years memorial ceremonies are held to accompany the dead into the ancestral realm and restore order to the universe.The figure on top of this mask represents 'Yasa,' the twin sister and wife of one of the 'Nommo' culture heroes whom brought rainwater from the sky to the earth. This mask has small horns on either side which indicate that the mask depicts a mythical antelope known as 'Walu.' Walu is said to have been directed by the god of creation, 'Amma' to protect the sun from the fox 'Yurugu,' who coveted it because he hoped to find his twin sister, 'Yasigi,' there. To avenge his foiled attempt, the fox dug holes in the ground in which the antelope fell and injured itself. Although it was cared for by one of the eight progenitors of mankind created by Amma, the antelope died. The dance of the Walu reflects this story. This is a superb example of a Dogon mask showing good signs of age and use.

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