Calao Mossi mask

Mossi “calao” mask (Yassoré province, Burkina Faso)

According to those who know a lot about the history of Africa, in the middle of the 11th century the Nakonzé, ranchers and transhumants from the south, came to settle in the savannahs located between the Muhún (or Black Volta) and Nakambé (or White Volta) rivers, where they subjugated to the farmers who previously populated the region. The leader Nakonzé, known as Uedraogo "the Stallion", then proclaimed himself king (Naba) of the Mossi. The Mossi people have, therefore, an ethnically varied origin, with a caste system that is a reflection of those origins.
The Nakonzé remains the political lineage, while the Tengabisi farmers are (or were) responsible for maintaining the Mosi mystical tradition, and responsible for the masks and cult objects made by the blacksmiths. One of them is the Calao mask.
Among the Mosi and other peoples of the region, the hornbill is a bird associated with alleviating grief over the death of someone loved: the "pecker" is the hornbill that has returned to feed on grain and, therefore, returns to normal. .

Height: 41.0 cm; Width: 16.0cm; Weight: 1.60 Kg