Dogon Sirige or Dama Dance Mask

Nearly fourteen feet tall, with a chin that ends in one neat hole.

Among the Dogon, masks like this sirige belong to the Awa, the men's mask society, and appear at funerary dances. This sirige or dama dance mask comes from Mali, West Africa, mid 20th century, in wood and pigment. The face is a long block with two deep vertical channels and small square openings near their middle. A thin central ridge runs between them. Above, a pierced diamond connects to a flared panel and a row of narrow bars. The wood shows warm orange and pale pinkish tones, grayer along one edge. Height 166 inches.

Measure twice. Then measure the ceiling.