Art of the indigenous peoples of Africa. Traditionally, mask-making is an art that is passed on from father to son, along with their knowledge and symbolic meanings. African masks are used in ritual dances, social, and religious events and usually have deep spiritual and religious meanings.
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Ritual and social meanings
In most traditional African cultures, the person who wears a ritual mask conceptually loses his human identity and turns into the spirit represented by the mask. The mask wearer sort of becomes a medium that allows for a dialogue between the community and the spirits (usually those of the dead or nature-related spirits).
Subject and style
African masks are usually shaped after a human face or some animal's muzzle, although sometimes rendered in a highly abstract form. The inherent lack of realism in African masks is justified by the fact that most African cultures clearly distinguish the essence of a subject from its looks, being the actual subject of artistical representation.
Traits representing moral values are found in many cultures. Some have their eyes half closed, symbolizing a peaceful attitude, self-control, and patience. Small eyes and mouth represent humility, and a wide, protruding forehead represents wisdom. Large chins and mouths represent authority and strength, while carved masks with round eyes represent alertness and anger, with the straight nose representing unwillingness to retreat.
Materials and structure
The most commonly used material for masks is wood, although a wide variety of other elements can be used, including light stone such as satiate, metals such as copper or bronze, different types of fabric, pottery, and more.
Some masks are painted (for example using ochre or other natural colorants). A wide array of ornamental items can be applied to the mask surface; examples include animal hair, horns, or teeth, sea shells, seeds, straws, egg shell, and feathers. For example, animal hair or straws are often used for a mask's hair or beard.
The general structure of a mask varies depending on the way it is intended to be worn. The most common type applies to the wearer's face. Others are worn like hats on the top of the wearer's head.
Animals
Animals are common subjects in African masks. Animal masks might actually represent the spirit of animals, so that the mask-wearer becomes a medium to speak to animals themselves (e.g. to ask wild beasts to stay away from the village). In many cases, an animal is also (sometimes mainly) a symbol of specific virtues.
Common animal subjects include the buffalo (usually representing strength, as in the Baoulé culture), crocodile, hawk, hyena, warthog and antelope. Antelopes have a fundamental role in many cultures of the Mali area (for example in Dogon and Bambara cultures) as representatives of agriculture. Dogon antelope masks are highly abstract, with a general rectangular shape and many horns (a representation of abundant harvest). Bambara antelope masks (called chiwara) have long horns representing the thriving growth of millet, legs (representing roots), long ears (representing the songs sang by the working women at harvest time).
A common variation on the animal-mask theme is the composition of several distinct animal traits in a single mask, sometimes along with human traits. Merging distinct animal traits together is sometimes a means to represent unusual, exceptional virtue or high status.
For example, the Poro secret societies of the Senufo people of the Ivory Coast have masks that celebrate the exceptional power of the society by merging three different "danger" symbols: antelope horns, crocodile teeth, and warthog fangs.
Another well-known example is that of kifwebe masks of the Songye people (Congo basin), that mix the stripes of a zebra (or okapi), the teeth of a crocodile, the eyes of a chameleon, the mouth of an aardvark, the crest of a rooster, the feathers of an owl.
Feminine beauty
A common subject of African masks is a woman's face, usually based on a specific culture's ideal of feminine beauty. Female masks of the Punu people of Gabon, for example, have long curved eyelashes, almond-shaped eyes, thin chin, and traditional ornaments on their cheeks, as all these are considered good-looking traits. Feminine masks of the Baga people have ornamental scars and breasts. But in many cases, wearing masks that represent feminine beauty is strictly reserved to men.
One of the well-known representations of female beauty is the Idia mask of Benin. It is believed to have been commissioned by a king of Benin in memory of his mother. To honor his dead mother, the king wore the mask on his hip during special ceremonies.
African masks are one of the elements of great African art that have most evidently influenced European and Western art in general. In the 20th century, cubism, fauvism, and expressionism have often taken inspiration from the vast and diverse heritage of African masks. Influences of this heritage can be found in South- and Central American masked Carnival Parades.
Condensed from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditional_African_Masks
In most traditional African cultures, the person who wears a ritual mask conceptually loses his human identity and turns into the spirit represented by the mask. The mask wearer sort of becomes a medium that allows for a dialogue between the community and the spirits (usually those of the dead or nature-related spirits).
Subject and style
African masks are usually shaped after a human face or some animal's muzzle, although sometimes rendered in a highly abstract form. The inherent lack of realism in African masks is justified by the fact that most African cultures clearly distinguish the essence of a subject from its looks, being the actual subject of artistical representation.
Traits representing moral values are found in many cultures. Some have their eyes half closed, symbolizing a peaceful attitude, self-control, and patience. Small eyes and mouth represent humility, and a wide, protruding forehead represents wisdom. Large chins and mouths represent authority and strength, while carved masks with round eyes represent alertness and anger, with the straight nose representing unwillingness to retreat.
Materials and structure
The most commonly used material for masks is wood, although a wide variety of other elements can be used, including light stone such as satiate, metals such as copper or bronze, different types of fabric, pottery, and more.
Some masks are painted (for example using ochre or other natural colorants). A wide array of ornamental items can be applied to the mask surface; examples include animal hair, horns, or teeth, sea shells, seeds, straws, egg shell, and feathers. For example, animal hair or straws are often used for a mask's hair or beard.
The general structure of a mask varies depending on the way it is intended to be worn. The most common type applies to the wearer's face. Others are worn like hats on the top of the wearer's head.
Animals
Animals are common subjects in African masks. Animal masks might actually represent the spirit of animals, so that the mask-wearer becomes a medium to speak to animals themselves (e.g. to ask wild beasts to stay away from the village). In many cases, an animal is also (sometimes mainly) a symbol of specific virtues.
Common animal subjects include the buffalo (usually representing strength, as in the Baoulé culture), crocodile, hawk, hyena, warthog and antelope. Antelopes have a fundamental role in many cultures of the Mali area (for example in Dogon and Bambara cultures) as representatives of agriculture. Dogon antelope masks are highly abstract, with a general rectangular shape and many horns (a representation of abundant harvest). Bambara antelope masks (called chiwara) have long horns representing the thriving growth of millet, legs (representing roots), long ears (representing the songs sang by the working women at harvest time).
A common variation on the animal-mask theme is the composition of several distinct animal traits in a single mask, sometimes along with human traits. Merging distinct animal traits together is sometimes a means to represent unusual, exceptional virtue or high status.
For example, the Poro secret societies of the Senufo people of the Ivory Coast have masks that celebrate the exceptional power of the society by merging three different "danger" symbols: antelope horns, crocodile teeth, and warthog fangs.
Another well-known example is that of kifwebe masks of the Songye people (Congo basin), that mix the stripes of a zebra (or okapi), the teeth of a crocodile, the eyes of a chameleon, the mouth of an aardvark, the crest of a rooster, the feathers of an owl.
Feminine beauty
A common subject of African masks is a woman's face, usually based on a specific culture's ideal of feminine beauty. Female masks of the Punu people of Gabon, for example, have long curved eyelashes, almond-shaped eyes, thin chin, and traditional ornaments on their cheeks, as all these are considered good-looking traits. Feminine masks of the Baga people have ornamental scars and breasts. But in many cases, wearing masks that represent feminine beauty is strictly reserved to men.
One of the well-known representations of female beauty is the Idia mask of Benin. It is believed to have been commissioned by a king of Benin in memory of his mother. To honor his dead mother, the king wore the mask on his hip during special ceremonies.
African masks are one of the elements of great African art that have most evidently influenced European and Western art in general. In the 20th century, cubism, fauvism, and expressionism have often taken inspiration from the vast and diverse heritage of African masks. Influences of this heritage can be found in South- and Central American masked Carnival Parades.
Condensed from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditional_African_Masks