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Another 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. [17]
The Dogon have over 70 masks representing animals and mythical beings. [8] The Yoruba are another African group from southwestern Nigeria. They celebrate Gélédé, a masquerade ceremony commemorating the importance of women. To the Yoruba, Gélédé is meant to honor their ancestors, earthly spirits, and their earth goddess.
A Punu-Lumbo mask. A Punu-Lumbo mask is a tribal mask native to the Ogooué River basin in Gabon, especially in the south in Ngounié Province. [1] The masks are extremely valuable to collectors of African art, and have been sold at Sotheby's for well over $400,000. [2]
Chiwara masks are categorized in three ways: horizontal, vertical, or abstract. In addition, Chiwara can be either male or female. Female Chiwara masks are denoted by the presence of a baby antelope and straight horns. Male Chiwara masks have bent horns and a phallus. The sex of a Chiwara mask is much clearer on horizontal and vertical masks ...
African masks are also used in the Mas or Masquerade of the Caribbean Carnival. Djolé (also known as Jolé or Yolé) is a mask-dance from Temine people in Sierra Leone. Males wear the mask, although it does depict a female. Fang mask used for the ngil ceremony, an inquisitorial search for sorcerers. Wood, Gabon, 19th century
Gebande is the most sacred examples of Dan masks while Genome is a lower rank of masks. [4] [5] The classifications relate to the content which the Dan attribute to the mask, rather than the appearance of the mask. Gebande masks can be divided into a series of subgroups and categories: Subgroups: Singers’ masks; Dancers’ masks; Storytellers ...
Mask from Gabon Two Chiwara c. late 19th early 20th centuries, Art Institute of Chicago.Female (left) and male, vertical styles. Most African sculpture from regions south of the Sahara was historically made of wood and other organic materials that have not survived from earlier than a few centuries ago, while older pottery figures are found from a number of areas.
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]