Tribal Art

The rich and complex history of the Mossi people of Burkina Faso is reflected in the various types and styles of figurines and masks created by them. This people appeared about 1500 years after. A large group of horsemen from the present northern region of Ghana would have gone north, into the Volta valleys, to subjugate the local populations who lived there from agriculture. The descendants of these conquerors established themselves as rulers, and their political art took the form of royal figurines that endorsed their rule. The descendants of the subjected peasants constituted on their side a spiritual class and began to manufacture masks to represent the spirits of nature. The geographical diversity of their styles reflects the differences between the various ethnic groups conquered in the year 1500 who united to give this people known today as the Mossi, a people apart in West Africa. Very few of them have indeed converted to Christianity or Islam and they continue to be the source of a fantastic art, as were their ancestors a few hundred years ago. Until the 1980s, recognition of the people behind this fabulous art was still very difficult. This work bears witness to its evolution thanks to the use made of it by the Mossi as a means of expressing their political and religious ideas.

Authors: Christopher D. Roy
Editions: Five Continents
Color and black and white photographs
Condition: NEW
Language: French
Number of pages: 144
Dimensions: 165 x 240mm
Paperback
ISBN: 978-88-7439-699-3