Tribal masks are used to represent the spirits of ancestors or to control the forces of good and evil .
What purpose did masks serve in African art?
In fact, African culture is animistic, believing that inanimate objects possess a soul. Masks were therefore not just symbolic; they were “spirit traps” which contained the soul for the benefits of the living . Even across death, the African believed that the ancestor`s soul takes part in the family`s life.
Why are African masks so important?
Masks serve an important role in rituals or ceremonies with varied purposes like ensuring a good harvest, addressing tribal needs in time of peace or war, or conveying spiritual presences in initiation rituals or burial ceremonies. Some masks represent the spirits of deceased ancestors.
How can you tell if an African mask is real?
Look for wear from forehead, cheeks, chins and noses . The mask should look like it’s been handled. 3. Smell the mask for the hint of smoke odor that may have come from a mask being used near ritual fires or stored in houses heated by wood.
What do African masks look like?
African masks are most commonly shaped like a human face or a muzzle of some animal . Masks are highly stylized because African cultures distinguish between outer look of something and its essence. ... The most common animals that are represented with masks are buffalo, hyena, hawk, crocodile and antelope.
What countries still use African masks?
- Bwa, Mossi and Nuna of Burkina Faso.
- Dan of Liberia and Ivory Coast.
- Dogon and Bamana of Mali.
- Fang (Punu) and Kota of Gabon.
- Yorubo, Nubo, Igbo and Edo of Nigeria.
- Senufo and Grebo, Baule (Guro) and Ligbi (Koulango) of Ivory Coast.
- Temne, Gola and Sande (Sowei) of Sierra Leone.
- Bambara of Mali.
What materials are used to make African masks?
Wood, ivory, metals and animal skin are some of the materials used to make them. African masks come in all different colours, such as red, black, orange, and brown. Masks are often made to resemble people, animals and other objects that people identify with. Many African masks represent animals.
What cultures use masks?
They were also widely used among Oceanic peoples of the South Pacific and among American Indians . Masks have served an important role as a means of discipline and have been used to admonish. Common in China, Africa, Oceania, and North America, admonitory masks usually completely cover the features of the wearer.
Are African masks valuable?
Most African masks are fakes . ... If a mask measures up well to all of these, chances are you will have to pay a lot for it. The good news is that these high-quality pieces will most likely appreciate in value. Fakes, reproductions, tourist junk, and authentic-but-inferior masks are not a good investment.
Who wears African masks?
In many African groups, masks are worn by dancers . Masked dancers often participate in ceremonies that include songs and prayers. Different ceremonies honor children’s coming of age, harvests, funerals, and other events. The person who wears the mask knows exactly what he or she must do.
Who wears African tribal masks?
Many African societies see African masks as mediators between the living world and the supernatural world of the dead, ancestors and other entities . Each African mask is made according to a traditional style, and a trained performer wears each African mask for a certain traditional ceremony.
What are three different forms of African masks?
Lesson Summary
Common types of African masks include face masks, which fit over the front of the wearer’s face; helmet masks , which fit over the entire head; and forehead masks, which work like hats that sit horizontally on top of the head with the wearer’s face covered by fabric.
What are the 6 types of African masks?
- Baule Mask.
- Biombo Mask.
- Bwa Plank Mask.
- Dan Mask.
- Goma Mask.
- Kota Mask.
- Kwele Mask.
- Ligbi Mask.
What does the mask represent?
The mask symbolizes how blacks must hide who they really are to navigate in white society . Because they are viewed as stereotypes, blacks must pretend to be what white people expect them to be. A mask hides one’s true identity.
What characteristics are prominent in African masks?
Characteristics of African Masks
Most patterns tend to be geometrical and symmetrical and are presented as a form of coded information. Parallel, zigzag, cruciform, curved and spiral lines, representing scarification marks or tattoos, are frequently used to adorn the planes of the mask face.
Why are African masks made of wood?
The majority of masks and sculptures are made of wood for two reasons: Trees are in plentiful supply in the forest . The carver believes that the tree has a spiritual soul and its wood is the most natural home for the spirit in the mask.
