Gurunsi Mask, probably Winiama, Burkina Fasoheight 23in (58.5cm)ProvenanceGalerie Philippe Ratton, ParisPrivate Collection, CaliforniaExhibitedParis: Galerie Philippe Ratton, Duo, June 2012Christopher Roy notes that "the Winiama are the only people that do not repaint their masks every year. Masks are often covered with layers of soot from kitchen fires, or of grime from repeated frequent use, so that the original red, white and black geometric shapes are difficult to distinguish, and only are visible in low relief. Winiama informants state that such dark masks represent malevolent and unpredictable spirits from the bush that, like humans with mental problems, are unkempt and dirty, so that the masks are not repainted each year." (Art of the Upper Volta Rivers, Alain et Francoise Chaffin, SEREG, Paris, 1987, pp. 214-17)Cf. (Ibid., fig. 198) for a similar mask with a pair of bush spirit figures painted red on top.