African Masks

African Masks History and Meaning

In Africa masks can be traced back to well past Paleolithic times. These art objects were, and are still made of various materials, included are

leather
metal
fabric
and various types of wood.

African masks are considered amongst the finest creations in the art world and are highly sought after by art collectors. Many of the pieces some replica's, can be viewed in museums and art galleries in many parts of the world. Masking ceremonies in Africa have great cultural and traditional significance. Latest developments and understanding of Aesthetic principles, religious and ceremonial values, have brought about a greater insight into the ideas and moral values that African artists express in their art.

During

celebrations
initiations
crop harvesting
war preparation
peace
and trouble times,

African masks are worn by a chosen or initiated dancer.

It can be worn in three different ways:

vertically covering the face:

as helmets,
encasing the entire head,
and as crest, resting upon the head, which was commonly covered by material as part of the disguise.

African masks often represent a spirit and it is strongly believed that the spirit of the ancestors possesses the wearer.

Ritual ceremonies generally depict

deities
spirits of ancestors
mythological beings, good and or evil
the dead
animal spirits
and other beings believed to have power over humanity

Masks of human ancestors or totem ancestors (beings or animals to which a clan or family traces its ancestry) are often objects of family pride; when they are regarded as the dwelling of the spirit they represent, the masks may be honored with ceremonies and gifts.

During the mask ceremony the dancer goes into deep trance, and during this state of mind he "communicate" with his ancestors. A wise man or translator sometimes accompanies the wearer of the mask during the ritual.

The dancer brings forth messages of wisdom from his ancestors. Often the messages are grunted utterances and the translator will accurately decipher the meaning of the message. Rituals and ceremonies are always accompanied with song, dance and music, played with traditional African musical instruments.

For thousands of years, rituals and ceremonies was and to a lesser extent is still an integral part of African life. The gradual, effects of parceled out territories to Colonial governments, and the ensuing damage to traditional economies followed by the displacement of huge quantities of people, by colonialism, resulted in economies and food production systems being wrecked. In general the vast number of people have lost some of its tribal identity and culture, hence masking ceremonies are no longer common place in Africa.

Physical characteristics of African Tribal Masks

Introduction to basic mask forms.

In Africa we have a wide variety of masks from different tribes and cultures. To bring some clarity and understanding it is helpful to classify them into roughly 8 basic types.

Headdress: (A good example would be one from the Ekhoi tribe now classified as part of Elagham Nigeria see image to the left) Artists carve cephalomorphic and zoomorphic mask.

The headdress and masks are covered with antelope skin this is one of the main characteristics associated with this tribe.
The basket at the base is the shape of the top portion of the head.
The costume is normally made of plant fiber and or raffia and covers the entire body of the mask bearer.

Face mask: this is the most common type found throughout Africa.The mask covers the face and has holes along the side. Before the wearer dons the costume his assistants will rub his/her body with a covering of natural oil, this serve as protection against evil spirits. The mask is then placed over the face and attached to the head opening of the costume. Thereafter a skirt made of vegetable fibers is attached around the waist. In some instances the entire body is covered with fiber or raffia. View the catalog here and the history of the Chokwe here

Horizontal plank mask: Bwa tribe Burkino Faso, these types of masks is worn on top of the head and it resembles an owl or bird in flight. The underside is carved to the shape of the head.

Body or Belly Mask from the Makonde tribe, Southeastern Tanzania. Carved from a solid tree trunk the hollow fits to the form of the body. The mask is normally part of the costume of a Ndimu masker and are normally worn by a male masquerader together with a matching face mask.

Helmet Crest:

Cap Crest:

Shoulder mask:

Multi wearer mask:

Coon Mask: Origin South Africa. This type of mask is handpainted and serves as a disguise and comical face from way back when emancipation of slaves was proclaimed. The newfound freedom of slaves led to the biggest celebrations at the time. They came out in grand style; along with song and dance accompanied by traditional music. Colonial masters detested the celebrations calling it "barbaric".

The comical smiling disguise allowed slaves to dance right in the face of colonial masters singing at the top of his voice almost in a way as to vent all the pent up frustrations without being identified, hence no punishment. For three hundred years and more against all the odds this vibrant and unique carnival still live on in the heart of Cape Town.

Mask, masque, masker maschera, mascara: A cover or disguise as for the features can be associated with a play or dramatic performance where the actors are masked and represent allegorical or mythological subjects. A masquerade. A artistic covering for the face. To put on a mask, assume a disguise.

Rebirth Collection African Tribal Masks

For many centuries African Tribal masks, played a major role in

rituals
celebrations
ceremonial
tribal initiations

Masking rituals are normally accompanied with

prayer
music
song
and or dance

Before the sculpting start, the artisan purifies himself and performs a prayer, consulting the divine forces and the spirits of his ancestor’s for guidance.

The divine force will be transferred to the mask during the sculpting process. The carver also offers a sacrifice to the spirit of the tree. Once the tree is felled the sculptor leaves it for a day or two, so that the spirit of the tree can find a "new home", thereafter he brings the tree to his workshop to starts the process of carving the mask.

Points to note: Masks displayed in museums or art galleries are but one component of the cultural ethos as a whole. Masks in Africa have an original setting and atmosphere. Men and or women that wear masks are fully dressed in traditional tribal attire or in accordance with the theme or significance of the event. Song, dance, music and or prayer accompany masking ceremonies, along with the entire village folk that participate in the ceremony or festival.

Some masks are used as Icons of power to ward off evil spirits and some are used to celebrate and thank the ancestors during crop harvesting.

Rainmakers, traditional healers and even the young men that graduate from initiation school wear masks and full tribal clothing during rituals or ceremonies. Over the last few decades there has been a sharp decline in masking rituals.

example:

Fang Mask History

Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and Cameroon

The Fang people used masks in their secret societies.
Members of this male society wore the Ngil masks during the initiation of new members and the persecution of wrongdoers.
Masqueraders, clad in raffia costumes and attended by helpers, would materialize in the village after dark, illuminated by flickering torchlight.
The Fang tribe are spread over a vast area along the Atlantic coast line of equatorial Africa and can be found in Cameroon equatorial Guinea and Gabon namely along the bank of the Ogowe river.
Masks, such as those worn by itinerant troubadours and for hunting and punishing sorcerers, are painted white with facial features outlined in black.
Typical are large elongated masks covered with kaolin and featuring a face that was usually heart-shaped with a long fine nose.
Apparently it have been linked with the dead, since white is their color.
The Ngontang dance society also used white masks, sometimes in the form of a four-sided helmet shape with bulging forehead and eyebrows in heart-shaped arcs.
The So, or red antelope, was connected with initiation that lasted several months, the masks used during this ritual had long horns. Passport masks, were attached to arms of the maskers.
This great rain forest region in the Fang territory is a plateau of middle altitude, with innumerable waters with falls and rapids rendering navigation for the most part impossible, and with a climate typically equatorial.

History: They are principally hunters but also agriculturists. Their social structure is based on a clan, a group of individuals with a common ancestor.

The ensemble of Fang peoples practice a cult devoted to ancestor lineages, the bieri, whose aim is to both protect themselves from the deceased and to recruit and aid in matters of daily life.

This familial cult does not monopolize the Fang’s religious universe, for it coexists with other beliefs and rituals of a more collective character.

The bieri, gave rise to remarkable wooden sculpture. The bieri, or ancestor figure, would be consulted when the village was to change location, or when a new crop was planted, during a palaver, or before going hunting, fishing, or to war. But once separated from the reliquary chest, the sculpted object would lose its sacred value and could be destroyed. The ritual consisted of prayers, libations, and sacrifices offered to the ancestor, whose scull would be rubbed with powder and paint each time. With its large head, long body, and short extremities, the Fang bieri had the proportion of a newborn, thus emphasizing the group’s continuity with its ancestor and with the three classes of the society: the “not-yet-born,” the living, and the dead. The relics were essentially skull fragments, or sometimes complete skulls, jawbones, teeth and small bones. The bieri also served for therapeutic rituals and, above all, for the initiation of young males during the great so festival.