Crocodile Mask (Primary Title)
Unknown (Artist)
Although the crocodile is a predatory animal, in Dogon folklore it plays a positive role as guardian of ponds where water spirits live. The crocodile prevents people from being lured by water spirits into the ponds, where they might drown. The broken crest above the face might be the remains of a snake that once rippled across the crocodile’s snout.
Adolph D. and Wilkins C. Williams Fund
"The Art of Black Africa." Flint, Michigan: Flint Institute of Arts. 8 February - 5 April 1970.
Image released via Creative Commons CC-BY-NC
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