The legends of the guinea wing start the tale from the "chair of prosperity"
For a pre-conclusion look... "The Mask of Fortune" attracts visitors to "Expo Dubai"
The Guinea Pavilion takes visitors on a journey filled with African stories.
From the source
Fatoumata Konde: "Guineans and many other societies in West Africa have, for centuries, associated with this mask and saw it as bringing good luck and prosperity."
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Sterile women suddenly become pregnant, farmers on the verge of bankruptcy reaping their best rice harvest, and ordinary merchants suddenly becoming rich - all are legends associated with the nimba mask that have been circulating for hundreds of years in West Africa.
With the curtain coming down on "Expo 2020 Dubai" at the end of this month, visitors flock in large numbers to the pavilion of the Republic of Guinea in the sustainability area, to take a look at the famous mask, and sit on the "throne of prosperity" chair as an exceptional experience provided by the pavilion to its visitors, by placing the original statue For the mask that symbolizes fertility, and the chair at the entrance, to welcome guests even before they enter.
"Nimba", which is considered the most famous of all Guinean masks, as it inspired the famous artist Pablo Picasso, belongs to the "Baga" sect that lives in Lower Guinea in the far west of the continent.
The mask was used during dance ceremonies associated with the rice harvest season, to increase the fertility of the fields and bring good luck in the harvest season.
"Guineans and many other communities in West Africa have, for centuries, been associated with this mask and saw it as bringing them good luck and prosperity," said Fatoumata Konde, Deputy Commissioner-General of the Guinean Pavilion at Expo Dubai.
For this reason, it is considered a national symbol dear to our hearts.”
"The nimba mask symbolizes the goddess of abundance, good luck and fertility," she added.
From an aesthetic point of view, it has an exceptional appeal thanks to the dynamic and imaginative sculptural composition, in addition to its surreal and expressive symbolism,” noting that “Nimba” is a mysterious being belonging to Guinean civilizations, while its large chest and beak symbolize strength and fertility.
The lines on the face of the mask and the chest embody the tribal identity, while the meticulously designed hairstyle indicates that the true meaning of this intricate piece has historical and social connotations that reflect the heritage of the Baga tribe.
Conde explained that "Guinea participates in international exhibitions (Expo) continuously, as it previously participated in Hanover, Beijing, Astana, Milan, and other other exhibitions, as part of the African participation, but in (Expo 2020 Dubai), Guinea for the first time enjoyed its own pavilion, which Help her enhance her ability to communicate with the world and present her value propositions in a focused manner, in keeping with Guinea’s image as “the water tower of West Africa.”
She pointed out that Guinea chose to present itself at the Dubai Expo, not as the first source of water in West Africa, but as a promising social and economic engine in its region, based on great historical foundations and promising development programs, to play a prominent role in the development of the brown continent during recent decades.
image on the throne
The organizers of the Guinea Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai were keen to place the original statue of the famous Nimba Mask next to the “Throne of Prosperity” until the end of the international exhibition, so that guests could sit on the chair next to the mask and take memorial photos of their visit to one of the most important historical world events held on the land of the country UAE.