
“Wearing white pajamas and a yellow gnomelike cap, Brâncuşi today hobbles about his studio tenderly caring for and communing with the silent host of fish, birds, heads, and endless columns which he created.”
— Life magazine, 1956 on sculptor Constantin Brâncuşi in retirement
via tinfoiltigers




![Mossi mask
Mossi (sing. Moaaga) are a people in central Burkina Faso, living mostly in the villages of the Volta River Basin. The Mossi are the largest ethnic group in Burkina Faso, constituting 40% of the population, or about 6.2 million people. The Mossi were able to conquer a vast amounts of territory thanks to their mastering of the horse, and created a prosperous empire and kept peace in the region until the beginning of colonialism. […] Masks occupy an important position in Mossi culture and are often considered holy. (wiki)
I have cousins in Burkina Faso and know that they’re skilled riders, but I never realized there was a historical tie to horses—just ignorantly assumed that equestrianism was introduced by European colonists.
The mask, meanwhile, is stunning. The sheer scale of it (145 cm / 57 in), and such an elegant shape—that long, forward-leaning curve slit down the middle. Looks inspired by the horns of an oryx.
image source](http://17.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kuaqtcmEgt1qz5buqo1_500.jpg)

