The Bakota (or Kota) are
a Bantu ethnic group from the northeastern region of Gabon
. The language they speak is called iKota, but is sometimes referred to as Bakota, ikuta, Kota, and among the Fang, they are known as Mekora.
What country is the Kota mask from?
Gabon
, Kota, Kota Mask.
What is a Kota figure?
Kota figures represent
an extremely stylized human body, reduced to shoulders and “arms
,” in emptied lozenge shape, surmounted by a large face framed by an ample coiffure with hanging tresses. The face, always oval, may be concave (female), convex (male) or concave-convex, with a forehead in quarter-sphere (also male).
What African country do the Kota people live in?
…or brass, created by the Kota tribe of
Gabon, Africa
, to protect the dead. Its traditional function, as a guardian figure standing against a wall, had a direct influence upon its form.
What does the Kota mask represent?
Their masks, painted white to symbolize death, represent
dead female ancestors
, though they are worn by male relatives of the deceased. The Kota create stylistically unique reliquary figures, called mbulu-ngulu, which are covered with a sheet of brass or copper.
What was the Kota used for?
Arts of Africa
The Kota once used
reliquary guardian figures (mbulu ngulu) to protect and demarcate the revered bones of family ancestors
. The bones were preserved in containers made of bark or basketry. The mbulu ngulu stood atop this bundle, bound to it at the figure’s lozenge-shaped base.
Where did the Kota originally come from?
The Kota arrived in their current location after completing a series of migrations that started to the northeast,
possibly near Sudan
. These migrations began in the 18th century and were underway when European contact was first made about 150 years later.
What is the Kota mask made of?
Kota figures are
carved in wood and covered with sheets of brass or copper
to increase their power.
What is the Lulua mask made out of?
Sometimes the masks were covered with
copper plate
and had vegetal-fibre bells attached at the chin. They were used for initiation ceremonies related to the warriors’ society. Salampasu figures are rare and are believed to be representations of their ancestors.
When was the Baule mask made?
Portrait Mask (Gba gba)
before 1913
. Designed as part of a Baule theatrical tradition, known as “Mblo,” that combines dramatic skits and solo dances, this mask is an idealized representation of the prominent member of the community for which it was sculpted.
What is Kota food?
“Kota” is an approximation of the word “quarter,” for
the quarter of the loaf of bread that is the base of the sandwich
. The bread is hollowed out, filled first with a layer of seasoned french fries, then topped with optional layers of sauce, cheese, egg, and meat.
Where is the Kota tribe located?
Kotas, also Kothar or Kov by self-designation, are an ethnic group who are indigenous to
the Nilgiris mountain range in Tamil Nadu, India
. They are one of the many tribal people indigenous to the region.
What tribe uses the kwele mask?
The Kwele masks of
Gabon
are used during initiation ceremonies and or at the end of a mourning period. The masks represent the spirits of the forest. The face of the masks are normally painted with white kaolin, the white represents the spirit world (peace and tranquility).
What is Africa’s art like?
African art, the visual arts of native Africa, particularly sub-Saharan Africa, including such media as
sculpture
, painting, pottery, rock art, textiles, masks, personal decoration, and jewelry.
Who created Kota?
Kota Factory is an 2019 Indian Hindi-language web series created by
Saurabh Khanna
and directed by Raghav Subbu for The Viral Fever.
What is West African art?
West Africa’s artistic heritage, which encompasses
traditional sculptures, masks, striking textiles and jewellery
, is tied very much to the land and its people. Most such works were, in their original form, representations of the natural and spirit worlds.
