Bwa Bush Spirits

Salihu Ibrahim carves a beautiful mask filled with meaning known only to initiates in the Bwa tribe of Burkina Faso. The checkerboard represents the separation of good and evil, wise from stupid, and male from female. At the top, a large white crescent denotes the moon of the masks that shines during the seasons when the masks perform. Ibrahim names the piece Nwantantay, or 'Bush Spirits.' Nwantantay have no natural shape and must be portrayed in abstract geometric form. The spirits embodied in the masks bless the families that own the mask and dance with it in public.