African MasksAfrican Masks

There are an enormous variety of masks used in Africa. Masks are used in masquerades that form part of religious ceremonies enacted to communicate with spirits and ancestors. The masks are usually carved with an extraordinary skill and variety by artists who will usually have received their training as an apprentice to a master carver - frequently it is a tradition that has been passed down within a family through many generations. Such an artist holds a respected position in tribal society because of the work that he or she creates, embodying not only complex craft techniques but also spiritual/social and symbolic knowledge. African masks are also used in carnivals across the Caribbean. Many African masks represent animals. Some African tribes believe that the animal masks can help them communicate with the spirits who live in forests or open savannas. Masks may also indicate a culture’s ideal of feminine beauty. Other masks that have exaggerated long faces and broad foreheads symbolize the soberness of one’s duty that comes with power. War masks are also popular. Today, the qualities of African Masks are beginning to be more understood and appreciated.

By Henry Wright

(wrighth06)