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African countries where masks are used traditionally Sande society sowei mask, 20th century Baoule Kple Kple Mask. Traditional African masks are worn in ceremonies and rituals across West, Central, and Southern Africa. They are used in events such as harvest celebrations, funerals, rites of passage, weddings, and coronations.
These masks showcase an ideal image of an Igbo maiden. This ideal is made up by the smallness of a young girl’s features and the whiteness of her complexion, which is an indication that the mask is a spirit. This whiteness is created using a chalk substance used for ritually marking the body in both West Africa and the African Diaspora.
The Woyo masks are typically made out of wood, and painted with contrasting colors, often in dots. The colors used had symbolic meaning and were sometimes repainted, symbolizing rebirth, or to restore the power of the mask. [1] They were worn in ceremonial dances known as the ndunga. They are also decorated with sacred objects known as nkissi. [2]
These masks are made as less elaborate versions of the mbala. The ceremony's leading mask, the mbala, is worn by the leader of the tulombusi and is meticulously designed by both the sculptor and the wearer to amuse the spectators. The masks are crafted with bulging eyes, a prominent, upturned nose, and an open mouth, often with teeth exposed.
Wooden maternity figure with elaborate scarification from Ndemba, Lulua Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Scarification in Africa is a major aspect of African cultures and cultural practice among African ethnic groups; the practice of scarification in Africa includes the process of making "superficial incisions on the skin using stones, glass, knives, or other tools to create ...
The Sande sowei masquerades promote and represent the images of women in specific ritual and festive contexts. The ceremonies of the Sande society are the only occasions in Africa in which women customarily wear masks. Wooden masks worn during these public ceremonies, such as funerals or the installations of chiefs, are called sowo (sing.
Africa Explores: 20th-Century African Art. Center for African Art, 1994. Woodward, Richard B. African Art: Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. The Museum, 2000. Roberts, Allen F., et al. Animals in African Art: from the Familiar to the Marvelous. The Museum for African Art, 1995. "Baga - Art & Life in Africa - The University of Iowa Museum of Art."
Plank Masks are the most known style of masks for this society. they are vertically shaped and attached to a disk-like base. Decoration is subject to change, but it mostly comes down to zigzags, squares, and circles. The Bwa also make horizontal and heterogenous masks. Heterogenous masks have an ovoid head with round and/or diamond eyes.