They represent the spirit of an animal and one that bears the mask, becomes that animal himself which allows for communication with that animal, for instance to ask animal to keep away from the village.
In other cases animal is a symbol of virtue. The most common animals that are represented with masks are buffalo, hyena, hawk, crocodile and antelope. Antelope is one of the most widely used animal masks.
It symbolizes agriculture and is worn to enable better crops. Horns represent growth of millet, legs roots of the plants while ears represent songs that women sing in the harvest time. Mask are sometimes made with details from different animals and then they represent some virtue. Almost all peoples have used masks to disguise themselves. Prehistoric rock paintings suggest that masking may have been part of magico-religious ceremonies.
An image of an African mask first appeared in the central Sahara thousands of years ago. The Stone Age inhabitants left a record of their presence in rock art at Tassili-n-Ajjer, Algeria, where they painted a human figure whose size and features are exaggerated. The figure is interpreted as a masked dancer wearing a knotted costume. Through this disguise, the dancer has been transformed into a deity or spirit. Whatever the purpose of the disguise, scholars cite this painting, which is dated to BCE, as the earliest evidence for one of the most important of all African art forms: masks.
Carved wooden masks are a highly developed and enduring African art form that is valued for its expressive qualities. The oldest existing carved wood sculpture from central Africa is possibly an animal head headdress that was excavated at a site to the east of the Cuanza River in Angola. It has been scientifically dated from the 8th to 9th century. The lack of perforations around the edge makes its use as a mask debatable. Some scholars prefer to regard it as a vessel.
Many African masks represent animals. Some African communities believe that the animal masks can help them communicate with the spirits who live in forests or open savannah. Some masks cover the entire body, like The Morongociek While most masks cover only the face, there are full body masks such as this seclusion mask used by the Maa community. Tiriki seclusion mask This is an ideal illustration of a full-body mask in use. The Tiriki boy depicted is wearing a mask after circumcision.
This mask is exclusively worn by initiates for a period of six months, during which they are in seclusion while in training for adulthood. Concealing the human form Masks used for rituals conceptually transform the wearer into a spiritual being, losing their human form in the process. For instance, penitents use masks in ceremonies to disguise their identity in order to make the act of penitence more selfless.
This is a transformation of the mask-wearer into a spirit, which usually relies on other practices — such as specific types of music and dance, or ritual costumes that contribute to concealing the mask-wearer's human identity.
Depicted is a Kuria man in a mask, concealing his identity. Entertainment value of masks Masks were very important during ceremonies because they were used to entertain the people. The placement of a specific gender in accordance to roles associated to the male and female joiners of a group is a common trait in many African cultures.
The Punu masks give male counterparts a chance to admire females within their group. The Punu masks are enhanced by additional details such as eyes and hairstyles to convey distinct characteristics such as elegance, emotive expressions and beauty.
Nonetheless, in many other African cultures, the human body has also been utilized as a mask in its own element. For example, people's faces, arms and legs are adorned by paintings or other materials such as grass, feathers e. Members from these tribes use beads, mud, animal fur, feathers, skin and other items to magnify their appearances - a quality which other tribes extend to the usage of masks.
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