Week 4 : Post 3

There are an enormous variety of tribal masks in Africa. These masks are hand carved in great detail and hold special meaning to all who adorn them. They are carved of wood, ivory, copper, bronze and many other textiles. They are used in religious ceremonies in an attempt to contact spirits and ancestors. Many African masks imitate animals; it is believed that this helps communicate with spirits living in fields or open savannas. The shape of the masks along with facial characteristics gives us an idea, as in case with all art, of what is considered beautiful in that culture. The photo on the left is a reproduction of the Guro masks found in the Ivory Coast of Africa. Guro masks consist of narrow faces, large foreheads, almond shaped eyes, teethy mouths and made of all hand craved wood. It is believed that these masks represent a female spirit named Gu, the consort of the mystical god Zamble.

Tranquility is shown in the masks of the Senoufo people of the Ivory Coast by creating masks with eye half closed and lines drawn near the mouth. The Temne of Sierra Leone use masks with small features such as eyes and mouths to show humbleness and humility. A bulging forehead is used to represent wisdom. Power is represented in some masks by exaggerated faces and broad foreheads. The Grebo of the Ivory Coast carve round eyes into their masks to represent anger and alertness, with a straight nose showing an unwillingness to give up.

Check out the following video about the Dogon people of Mali and the rituals associated with the Kanaga mask. The Dogon people consider the act of carving the mask equally as important as the ceremony in which it is used. These people hold a respect for the Kanaga mask and consider it all powerful.



The qualities of African art are today more understood and appreciated. This is leading them to be mass produced for the sake of tourism trade. Handmade, these reproductions still show the skilled craftsmanship used in traditional mask making but lack the spiritual character of custom tribal masks.