Dugn'be (ox) mask
Young men of the canhoca, an age grade for 12- to 17-year-olds, are occasionally be impetuous and irresponsible. The dugn'be mask recognizes this phase of childhood. On hands and knees in portrayal of an ox, the masquerader is tethered by a cord passing through the nostrils. An adult may provoke the ox and allow it to rebel. Eventually, though, the masquerader calms down and demonstrates how, like the ox, the young man is beginning to master his strength.
Wood, ox horns, leather, and glass
19 3/4 x 22 5/8 x 14 5/8 in. (50.2 x 57.5 x 37.1 cm)
Gift of Katherine White and the Boeing Company
81.17.178
Provenance: [Galerie Majestic, Paris, France]; purchased from gallery by Katherine White (1929-1980), Seattle, Washington, 1972; bequeathed to Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, Washington, 1981