Bidjogo

African Bijogo art is characterized by animal masks and statues. Bidjogo masks are worn by a dancer during initiation ceremonies. These West African tribal art objects symbolize native animals such as cows, sharks and sawfish and the dancer's movements reflect the nature of the animal they are portraying. The features of the African Bidjogo statues, called iran, vary between abstraction and realism, yet they all have a head with a pointed chin, a flattened face, round eyes and semi-circular ears. These traditional iran statues are believed to possess divinatory abilities and protect against spells and illnesses.