A leaf mask wearer resting in front of the crowds after his performance at Festima Festival in Dedougou, Burkina Faso

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FESTIMA Festival in Dedougou, Burkina Faso. FESTIMA is the largest International Art and Mask Festival in West Africa, gathering hundreds of traditional masks from six countries – Benin, Ivory Coast, Mali, Togo, Senegal and 50 villages of Burkina Faso. Masks have always been an important part of traditional animist beliefs in many African cultures. Made of leaves, straw, wood and textile, they symbolise the worship of ancestors and spirits and play an important role during commemorations of rites and the cycle of life.

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Size: 4256px × 2832px
Location: Dedougou, Burkina Faso
Photo credit: © Marina Spironetti / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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