The Kanaga mask is a mask of the Dogon of Mali traditionally worn by members of the Awa Society during a ceremony called the dama.
The cross has two meanings. First, it represents the arms and legs of the creator god Amma.Second, it shows the arrangement of the universe, with the lower cross signifying the earth, and the upper the heavens or the sky.
The shape of the mask may represent various animal subjects: the kommolo tebu (a bird), the lizard, the iguana, the barÃĒmkamza dullogu (a water insect), the hand of God or the female spirit of the trees (gyinu ya). The mask is presented in male and female forms, the male version being the most numerous.
