Nuna people

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Nunuma musicians (1970s) COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Nunuma of Winiama muzikanten met trommen begeleiden de maskerdansers TMnr 20031574.jpg
Nunuma musicians (1970s)

The Nuna people, or Nunuma, are subgroup of the Gurunsi people in Southern Burkina Faso, estimated 150,000 population, and Ghana. The Nuna are known for their masks. [1] The group speaks the Nuni language. [2]

Culture

Nuna art is distinguished in particular by its very colorful masks - red, white and black - statuettes in clay and wood, stools and jewels, generally destined to honor the ancestors.

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African sculpture Rarely conserved bronze and wooden figures and wooden masks

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Art of Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso is a small, landlocked country north of Ghana and south of Mali and Niger. Economically, it is one of the four or five poorest countries in the world. Culturally, it is extremely rich. In part this is because so few people from Burkina have become Muslim or Christian. Many of the ancient artistic traditions for which Africa is so well known have been preserved in Burkina Faso because so many people continue to honor the ancestral spirits, and the spirits of nature. In great part they honor the spirits through the use of masks and carved figures. Many of the countries to the north of Burkina Faso had become predominantly Muslim, while many of the countries to the south of Burkina Faso are heavily Christian. In contrast many of the people of Burkina Faso continue to offer prayers and sacrifices to the spirits of nature and to the spirits of their ancestors. The result is that they continue to use the sorts of art that we see in museums in Europe and America.

References

  1. African and Oceanic Art in Jerusalem: The Israel Museum Collection Douglas Newton - 2001 "The largest subgroup are the Nuna, with the smaller Nunuma, Winiama, Kisena, and Lela on their borders. ... sirigi ("Mother of Masks") of the Dogon, and the karanga masks of the Mossi former kingdom of Yatenga, in northern Burkina Faso."
  2. Studies in Kasem Phonetics and Phonology - Page 19 A. K. Awedoba - 2002 -"... classified by Bendor-Samuel (1971) as 'Northern Grusi' together with three other closely related languages: Nuna or Nuni (also referred to as Nunuma or Nounouma), Lyele and Pana. These, its closest 'cousins', are spoken in Burkina Faso.
  3. Musée du quai Branly
  4. National Museum of African Art
  5. Musée du Louvre, Pavillon des Sessions