Kanaga masqueraders during the Dama ceremony, Sanga, Mali

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Object Details

Photographer

Elisofon, Eliot

Collection Photographer

Elisofon, Eliot

Collection Citation

Eliot Elisofon Field Collection, EEPA 1973-001, Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution

Scope and Contents

"The kanaga mask is part of a costume traditionally worn only for the dances of the Dama funerary ceremonies,and is accompanied by particular drum rythms from particular drums which generate specific dances. Only initiated, circumcised members of the all-male Awa secret society dance the kanaga." [Harris M., 1989: Visual tropes: The Kanaga Mask of the Dogon people of West Africa, Yale University]. During his trip to Mali, Elisofon visited the Dogon people in Sanga (Sangha), a group of thirteen villages lying east of Bandiagara at the top of an escarpment. This photograph was taken when Eliot Elisofon was on assignment for Life magazine and traveled to Africa from August 18, 1959 to December 20, 1959.

sova.eepa.1973-001_ref19846

GUID

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/xo7be9ca37b-8467-4d2d-ad26-092abe0e1680

Local Numbers

E 1 DGN 2.2 EE 59

General

Title is provided by EEPA staff based on photographer's notes.

Local Note

57938 1 55

Frame value is 2.

Slide No. E 1 DGN 2.2 EE 59

Place

Africa

Mali

Topic

Masquerades

Clothing and dress -- Africa

Masks

Photographer

Elisofon, Eliot

Culture

Dogon (African people)

See more items in

Eliot Elisofon Field collection

Eliot Elisofon Field collection / Mali

Extent

1 Slides (photographs) (col.)

Date

1959

Archival Repository

Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art

Identifier

EEPA.1973-001, Item EEPA EECL 3463

Type

Archival materials

Slides (photographs)

Color slides

Collection Rights

Permission to reproduce images from the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives must be obtained in advance. Where noted, some images remain under the copyright of Life/Shutterstock. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.

Genre/Form

Color slides

Collection Restrictions

Use of original records requires an appointment. Contact Archives staff for more details.

EEPA.1973-001_ref19846

Large EAD

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/xo7be9ca37b-8467-4d2d-ad26-092abe0e1680

EEPA.1973-001

EEPA

Record ID

ebl-1536870822481-1536871014773-0

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