Masquerade Accessory
Gan, Burkina Faso
Forged iron
19th century

The religious and functional artwork of the Gan, who call themselves the Kaaba or Kamba, has often been misattributed to neighboring groups in Burkina Faso and Ghana such as the Senufo, Lobi, and Kulango. Research indicates that the Gan (who can be distinguished by their regionally unique language) originated in central Ghana and emigrated northwest to Burkina Faso in the 15th century. Not coincidentally, Gan bronzes excavated in Burkina Faso can date back to the 15th century, but not earlier (Schaedler, Earth and Ore, 1997).

Most of the archaeological metalwork from Burkina Faso is said to be Gan, hence the attribution here. In fact, although this piece may have been unearthed in a region currently or historically identified as Gan, it may in fact have been cached or lost by an entirely different ethnic group. This is a distinct, specific form, of which I have seen four other examples variously attributed to the Bobo, Gurunsi, and Gan, have all been nevertheless definitively been identified as coming from Burkina Faso. Blandin describes this type as being a masquerade accessory, hence my same attribution here.  

The identification of nearly all archaeological metalwork from Burkina Faso as Gan is the result of our current, relatively poor understanding of the ancient history of the area. A lack of concerted scholarly research is largely to blame (Blandin, Fer Noir, 1992; Amyas Naegele, personal communication, 2016; Roy, Land of the Flying Masks, 2007).
 

24.5 in :: 62 cm

InventoryID #13-1081

Price on Request