Mossi Biiga Doll Carved Burkina Faso African Art

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Title<br>Mossi Biiga Doll Carved Burkina Faso African Art<br>Type of Object<br>Doll<br>Country of Origin<br>Burkina Faso<br>People<br>Mossi or Moshi<br>Materials<br>Wood<br>Approximate Age<br>20th century<br>Height (in)<br>14.5<br>Width (in)<br>3<br>Depth (in)<br>1.5 inch<br>Other Dimensions<br>Width: 3.75 inch inner diamter, 4 inch outer diameter Inches<br>Depth: 1.5 inch Inches<br>Overall Condition<br>Fair to Good. Most of our pieces have spent decades on at least two continents, and have been treasured by several owners.   Small splits, scrapes and cracks are a normal part of their patina attesting to their age and extensive use.  We examine each piece carefully when we receive it and report any damage we find in our listings.  Please look carefully at the pictures which may also reveal condition and damage.<br>Damage/Repair<br>some minor surface scratches<br>Additional Information:<br>The Mossi are today the largest single group living in Burkina Faso. They originated from horsemen who made their way north from present day Ghana during the 1500’s. Mossi are renowned for their masquerades and the use of large superbly sculpted and brightly painted masks and colorful costumes. Among the Mossi elders are highly honored with elaborate funerals and the appearance of masked dancers with masks representing ancestors and various spirits and forces of Nature in dramatic and often vigorous dances. Sculpted figures known as Ninande (pl.) have a number of functions and It is difficult to establish the use of a figure without specific knowledge of it’s use. This stylized sculpted female figure has and unusual Mossi facial and body lines and a ringed neck. The high crested hairstyle is a version of<br>gyonfo<br>coiffure worn by the female among the Mossi.<br>In general, figures are identified with local chiefs and clan elders during ceremonies reinforcing local political relationships and chiefly authority. Figures are also used at funerals and in some areas are buried with the elder. During yearly public ceremonies figures honoring ancestors will have cloths wrapped around their waists similar to cloths worn by Mossi women.Among their many works is the “biiga” or doll; though the word doll is not a good translation of the because the function of the sculpture goes way beyond that of a ‘plaything.’ For a young female child the biiga represents the power that will enable her to have a child and simultaneously the baby she is learning to take care for.<br>The biiga doll is washed and dressed and carried on the back just like a real child would be. If it is damaged, the biiga is taken to the local diviner for attention. The biiga is passed on from mother to daughter or from sister to sister. All Mossi dolls have a cylindrical base that is slightly wider than the body. It is carved without legs or arms but has accentuated breasts which are a symbol of motherhood. The head is a stylization of the gyonfo, a female hairdo with 3 crests; the center one running from the forehead to the base of ht e neck. Lines that are etched into the head represent braids. The biiga also features scarifications that are realistic and found on the Mossi people themselves.<br>For a similar example see Roy, Christopher & Thomas G. B. Wheelock, Burkina Faso Land of the Flying Masks. The Thomas G. B. Wheelock Collection, 2007,figs. 478-489<br>Recommended Reading:<br>Roy, Christopher & Thomas G. B. Wheelock, Burkina Faso Land of the Flying Masks. The Thomas G. B. Wheelock Collection, 2007<br>Roy, Christopher., The Art of the Upper Volta Rivers, 1987.<br>Elisabeth, Cameron, ISN'T S/HE A DOLL-PLAY AND RITUAL IN AFRICAN SCULPTURE, 1996<br>**124369**<br>All content, including pictures, Copyright Africa Direct Inc., 2021<br>Add Us To Your Favorite Sellers!<br>Please visit our About Us page.<br>Africa Direct, Inc. has been selling on eBay since 1997 and has received more than 56,000 positive feedbacks. It is owned by Eliza and Sara, who began the company after spending a year wandering southern Africa in a camper van with their multi-racial family. They have been honored with eBay's Hall of Fame award, and by eBay Giving Works, through which they have raised more than $125,000 in charity auctions.<br>Customer Service<br>: We treasure our many long term customers, and will try to make you one of them! If you have problems, please tell us... we