Buffalo mask (sigma)

This mask is carved in the form of a highly stylized buffalo. The mask is viewed simultaneously from the front and rear; the projecting beaklike form is described by locals as a tail.

This mask appears in a masquerade called Simma that is performed by farmers. The masquerade is performed at funeral celebrations and when a community’s well-being is threatened, for example by a drought or malevolent spirits. The mask is worn diagonally on the head. The meaning of the nails driven into the cheeks of the mask is unknown.