Many people in Western society think of a mask as a disguise or a way to play the role of another person or animal at Halloween. But when Pablo Picasso first saw masks and sculptures from West Africa, he was amazed by their stylization and vitality. He began to use elements from these masks in his own artwork, beginning with “Les Demoiselles d’Avignon,” in which the faces of the women in the picture are masklike and very much resemble West African carvings. Spurred on by Picasso and other artists, movements such as cubism, fauvism and expressionism have often taken inspiration from the vast array of traditional African masks.
Many consider masks to be works of art. However, African masks were, and most still are, created for a particular purpose – usually as a link with the supernatural. Each mask has a specific symbolic meaning. Some masks are part of a complete and highly complex costume. The art of mask-making is passed on from father to son, and special status is given to the artists who make masks and to the people who wear them in ceremonies.
In many traditional African cultures, it is believed that when a dancer puts on a mask, he becomes the spirit represented by the mask. In essence, the dancers become mediums that allow the community and the spirit world to interact. Masked dances are part of weddings, funerals, initiations, and other community events. Masks are also used for other purposes, such as administering justice and in teaching young people laws, history, and traditions.
Because the masks have strong spiritual meanings, only selected people are allowed to wear them. In many cases only men can wear masks, most specifically men of high social status or elders of the tribes. Some masks may only be worn by chieftains and kings. Others are reserved for witch doctors or warriors.
Dogon ceremonial mask
African masks may be based on the human face, or they may represent an animal – sometimes in a highly abstract form. The extreme stylization of these masks is due to the fact that in most African cultures the subject of the mask is not a person or an animal, but the essence of that being. For example, the Nwantantay masks of the Bwa people are intended to represent the flying spirits of the forest. Because these spirits are believed to be invisible, the masks that represent them are carved in abstract, completely geometrical forms.
Masks may also represent moral traits, ideal feminine beauty (usually only men are allowed to wear these masks), or dead ancestors either ordinary or legendary. Most masks are made of wood, but a wide variety of other materials may be used, including lightweight stone, metals such as copper or bronze, fabric, and pottery. Some masks are painted with natural materials, and may include seeds, beads, feathers, animal hair, and shells, among other things. Long straw or raffia fringes are sometimes attached to the base of the mask to completely hide the identity of the person wearing it.
Because Westerners appreciate African masks as decorative artworks, one can now purchase commercialized masks in tourist markets and shops across Africa, as well as in “ethnic” shops in the U.S. and Europe. The consequence of this commercial mass production has caused the traditional mask-makers to slowly lose their privileged status. Although in most cases commercial masks are more or less accurate reproductions of the traditional masks, the logistics of mass production make it harder to identify the actual cultural origins of masks sold as souvenirs and art pieces. For example, one small area with many skilled carvers may turn out masks that originated in a number of different cultures spread over a wide area.
Whether a mask is used for ritual purposes or as an artistic decoration, it is a unique and specialized art form that can be appreciated on many levels.
