The carving of a Kanaga mask, Ogol du Haut village, Mali

Object Details

Local Numbers: EENG-IV-26, 20A.
General: Title source: Index card based on photographer's notes.
Local Note: Typed index card reads, "H 1 Dgn. Dogon. Mali, Ogol du Haut village. Dolo, the carver,fastens the crosspieces onto the Kanaga mask. 6/1970. EE. neg.no. IV-26, 20A." The card was written in 1977-79 by Archives staff using source provided by photographer.

See more items in: Eliot Elisofon Field collection; Eliot Elisofon Field collection / Mali

Archival Repository: Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art

Type: Archival materials; Negatives (photographic); Black-and-white negatives; Negatives

Collection Citation: Eliot Elisofon Field Collection, EEPA 1973-001, Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution

Collection Rights: Permission to reproduce images from the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives must be obtained in advance. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.

Scope and Contents: "Dogon masks are carved from the wood of male trees, a practice consistent with the association of the Awa society, masks, and Dama performances, with men. Wood from the togolo tree (Bumbax buonopozente) is most often used for the masks, and it is characterized by a red sap that oozes from its cut surfaces. The Kanaga mask is constructed from seven pieces of wood. There is the central piece which forms the face, ears, diamond above the head, and the vertical panel which culminates in the abstracted figures; two panels which intersect the central vertical; and four short vertical extensions on the end of the horizontal crosses. These pieces are held together at six intersections by leather stitches, and an adhesive paste. A black square covers each intersection, masking the stitches, but also creating an image that reads like a checkboards." [Harris M., 1989: Visual Tropes: The Kanaga Mask of the Dogon People of West Africa, Yale University]. The photograph depicts Dolo, the blacksmith and wood carver of Ogol du Haut village, and his son, carving a Kanaga mask. During his trip to Mali, Elisofon visited the Dogon people in the Sanga region. This photograph was taken when Eliot Elisofon traveled to Africa from March 17, 1970 to July 17, 1970.

Collection Restrictions: Use of original records requires an appointment. Contact Archives staff for more details.