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African Mask
Seedtime And HarvestFIRST LOVE RECOVERY MINISTRIES Seedtime and harvest Gen.8:22(KJV) "While the earth remaineth, .....
African Masks The following is a general over view of African
Masks. If you are interested in collecting African mask from
galleries or even primary sources we are going to establish some
links which take you to places where masks are for sale. Stay
with the site as it progresses and the links will be established
to useful African Masks contacts.
Those of you who are thinking of a collecting trip to Africa may
well find the following site useful. There are still places in
Africa where genuine old masks can be bought, generally through
dealers. Also watch out for fakes as they do abound. Remember
buy things you like as investment can go up as well as down. If
you like that carving or mask then the value is not as
important. The link is African-Vacations.com, see the Carvings
page link.
The African masks of this area are well documented by Ladislas
Segy in Masks of Black Africa. Much of the following section on
African Masks is influenced by his work.
The African masking traditions of this part of the World are
extremely fertile and varied. The traditions supporting the
masks are generally associated with the spirits of ancestors,
rites of passage, fertility and initiation ceremonies. Dance is
generally involved in the use of the masks. Segy lists the
following types of ritual:-
Rituals of cosmology, myth and mythological heroes or animals
Fertility rites Rituals for increase Agricultural festivals
Rituals for rites of passage Ancestor cults Initiations
including secret societies
Garnet Is January's BirthstoneIf you're still young enough to remember your birthday, you probably also remember the special birthstone assigned to it. But at your ..... Related Ceremonies
Masks can be used for different ceremonies often having multiple
purposes. The size and style of masks are diverse, depicting
animals, human faces and more abstract styles in sizes from a
few centimetres to 4.5 metres in the case of the Dogon Iminana (
mother mask ). With only a few exceptions the masks are all part
of a full costume and not just an isolated piece of decoration..
Segy notes:-
Face coverings Helmet masks Headdresses Masks with prominent
breasts Amulets Insignia of grade Crowns of bead work
Materials
Wood The major material was wood due to the large forest and
range of species available. The choosing of a tree from which to
make a mask was not as we might do today, find one and chop it
down. Rather the carver would seek the help of a diviner and
undergo a purification ceremony and when the first blow was
struck he would drink some of the sap in order to form a
brotherhood with the tree?s spirit. Mask would be carved from
one piece of wood with nothing jointed, with some of the masks
this created severe technical difficulties when the early
carvers only had simple tools. Usually green timber was used as
this was easier to cut. Certain varieties would be used for some
special masks, but in general the softer woods were used
Ivory was used by the Warega and Benin. The ivory was the
property of the Benin kings (Oba) and they were the only ones to
wear ivory as a mark of office. The carving of the Warega was
not as refined but has a strong impact.
Brass was used by the Benin, Senufo and Ashanti.
Other Materials Knitted materials were used as were beadwork,
basketry and fabrics. Additional materials included :- shells,
beads, twigs, bark, teeth, hair, beaten or repousse metal,
vegetable fibres and skin, to mention a few.
West Africa The masks of this area are well documented by
Ladislas Segy in Masks of Black Africa. His book lists the
following areas:-
Guinea-Bissau Republic of Guinea Sierra Leone Mali Liberia Ivory
Coast Upper Volta Ghana Nigeria Cameroon
Within each of these countries can be found ancient traditions
associated with individual tribes displaying common links. The
areas associated with some groups cross boundaries. The names of
the different tribes is too extensive to list at the moment.
Equatorial Africa
Congo Zaire Zambia
Similar themes and traditions are found with the masks from this
area when compared with those of the Western countries. In the
early Fifteenth Century the well established Kongo people had
close contact with the Portuguese and later some converted to
Christianity. This has had some influence on the type of
festivities and masks. The Kongo dominated various tribes in the
area of these the Woyo and Yombe produced notable mask The
Ndunga masks of the Woyo were larger than life size and had
projecting foreheads large cheeks with small eyes, the surface
of these faces was painted with white or brightly coloured
asymmetrical designs.
The Western Pende on the Kwilu River in Zaire have two major
types of mask. The Minhajl, which represent the ancestors and
the Mbuya which represent various village characters such as the
fool, the prostitute, the chief etc. These masks are used in the
reinforcement of social control. The amusing performances are
brightened by the triangular faces of the masks with bulging
eyes, open mouths containing carved teeth painted in a variety
of colours. The more powerful Minganji masks are simpler
circular forms made from raffia with tubular eyes and no other
features. All the masks are constructed in secret away from the
village.
In the Makenda circumcision ceremony the Mbuya appear from out
of the bush and dance in the village square until dusk. As the
sky darkens, Minganji, masked dancers, materialise and move
around the village at a distance, helping to develop the sense
of awe and unease. In the secret circumcision camp the initiated
youths are allowed to handle the mask as they are now fully
fledged members of the society.
Many other styles are found in these areas.
East Africa
Tanzania and Mozambique are both home to the Mekonde one of the
best know tribe of mask makers in East Africa. The Mekonde masks
come in various styles, the southern groups using the helmet
type. The features of these masks are often realistic and are
worn with a cloth covering the head of the dancer. Scarification
is used. The characters represented are familiar to the local
people:- the old man, the doctor, the young woman and the Arab,
some animal masks are found.
Over view
It must be noted that the masks of Africa represent a wealth of
forms and designs which have been well collected and catalogued.
The total range is by no means represented here. The common
connections between the masks and the different groups are
obviously strong.
Would you like regular updates on the Masking World?
Ian Bracegirdle 2004 1 Elderberry Close East Morton BD20 5WA
UK 01535 692207 http://mask-and-more-masks.com You may use this
article freely on condition that you include this copyright line
and URL and that people who subsequently use this article follow
the same conditions. Thank you for accepting these conditions.
About the author:
Teacher, Course Leader, Mask Enthusiast and Collector.
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