Dege or Black Monkey Mask of the Dogon people

Masquerades are not just outward displays of fantastic costumes. They can also be powerful, choreographed rituals designed to tell stories, convey information, and venerate both gods and ancestors alike. This is particularly true for the Dogon people who live in Mali, West Africa. To the Dogon, masquerades represent an integral, indispensable part of life; and the masks they wear during these rituals are not just components of costumes, but instead, highly potent objects possessing a life force of their own.

There are three monkey masks danced by the Dogon people; the white, or Omono, the red, or Ko, and the black, or Dege

This week’s New Arrival features a Dogon ‘Black Monkey’ mask, known as a Dege. It is a mask fully capable of animating whoever wears it. In the world of African art it is considered highly collectible, perhaps because it combines abstract aesthetics with relevant meaning. To the Dogon, it embodies a powerful bush spirit capable of disrupting everyday life if left unchecked. To us, it illustrates how unseen natural forces, once revealed, can be tempered, altered, and even controlled.

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