Dolo, a blacksmith and woodcarver, finishing a Kanaga mask, Ogol du Haut village, Mali

"Dogon masks are carved from the wood of male trees, a practice consistent with the association of the Awa society, masks, and Dama performances, with men. Wood from the togolo tree (Bumbax buonopozente) is most often used for the masks, and it is characterized by a red sap that oozes from its cut surfaces. The Kanaga mask is constructed from seven pieces of wood. There is the central piece which forms the face, ears, diamond above the head, and the vertical panel which culminates in the abstracted figures; two panels which intersect the central vertical; and four short vertical extensions on the end of the horizontal crosses. These pieces are held together at six intersections by leather stitches, and an adhesive paste. A black square covers each intersection, masking the stitches, but also creating an image that reads like a checkboards." [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 the Sanga (Sangha) region. This photograph was taken when Eliot Elisofon traveled to Africa from March 17, 1970 to July 17, 1970.