Bansonyi snake mask — monumental vertical sculpture — Baga, Guinea — African tribal art — Ref. 158

Description

This imposing vertical sculpture is a stylised representation of a sacred Bansonyi snake, a work of the Baga people of Guinea. Measuring 216 cm high and weighing 27 kg, it is carved from a single block of wood and presents an ascending sinuous form with remarkable sculptural balance. The body of the snake is decorated with black and white triangular geometric motifs, painted using traditional processes. The top represents a broad, flat stylised head, pierced with two circular eye openings, whose ritual metal elements are missing here, accentuating its frontal and symbolic gaze.

Unlike Bansonyi snakes used for dances, generally lighter and carried horizontally, this piece has no carrying system and its rough base indicates vertical installation, probably in the ground of a sacred space or in front of a community altar. It may have been displayed during major agrarian ceremonies or initiations linked to fertility, regeneration and the protection of the village.

The snake is a central totemic figure in Baga cosmology: guardian of the waters, spirit of fecundity and mediator between the living and the ancestors. Its vertical elevation evokes the link between the underground world and the sky, symbolising passage, renewal and the vital energy that animates the earth.

Technical details

Type of piece

Masque

Category

Masks

Ethnic group

Baga

Country

Mali

Materials

wood, natural pigment

Dimensions

H 216 × W 30 × D 42 cm

Weight

27 kg

Estimated dating

second half 20th c.

Laboratory test

Not tested

Reference

158