Great Mask (Primary Title)
Unknown (Artist)
From its stylized head at the base, the Great Mask rises to a pinnacle dressed with orange-red fibers representing the fire of the sun. This configuration symbolizes Dogon beliefs about the celestial origins of life on Earth. The mask also represents the transformation of Lebe into a serpent after his death. Lebe was one of the Dogon’s eight primordial ancestors and the first man to die.
Unlike other masks, the Great Mask is not worn but instead serves as an altar or sacred object. Its very presence transforms the surrounding space into a place of spiritual contact for the community honoring the deceased. Every sixty years, the Dogon hold a Sigui festival that progresses from village to village over a seven-year period. During Sigui, the people of one village introduce a new Great Mask and the old one is retired to a cave for human burials. This ritual commemorates the passing of one generation and celebrates its replacement by the next. During Sigui, several young boys are initiated as keepers of the new mask and preservers of the cult of Lebe for their generation. The most recent Sigui took place from 1967 to 1974; the next will begin in 2027.
This mask had been retired to a cave. Based on its condition, it was likely made between 1907 and 1914, but may have been made 60 or 120 years earlier.
Some object records are not complete and do not reflect VMFA's full and current knowledge. VMFA makes routine updates as records are reviewed and enhanced.
