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Imina kanaga (kanaga masquerade hood)

early 1970s
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 341
In Dogon society, imina (masks) refer not only to the face coverings, but also to the costumes and the performance. The materials used to make these elaborate ensembles hold deep cosmological significance—the hibiscus plant from which the fibers are extracted grew where a primordial woman named Yasigi is said to have impregnated the earth. Its red and yellow fibers, essential materials that imbue the mask with nyama (life force) and pangan (power), remain closely associated with the reproductive capacities of women. However, as the power generated by Yasigi’s act was considered too dangerous for women to handle, only men may harvest and fashion masks from these plants.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Imina kanaga (kanaga masquerade hood)
  • Artist: Dogon artist
  • Date: early 1970s
  • Geography: Mali
  • Culture: Dogon peoples
  • Medium: Cotton fiber, plant fiber (hibiscus or sanseveria?), hide, pigment
  • Dimensions: H. 47 × W. 22 × D. 10 in. (119.4 × 55.9 × 25.4 cm)
  • Classification: Textiles-Costumes
  • Credit Line: Gift of Lester Wunderman, 1987
  • Object Number: 1987.74h
  • Curatorial Department: The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing

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Imina kanaga (kanaga masquerade plaited skirt), Dogon artist, Fiber (sanseveria), Dogon peoples
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