African Masks

2. There are an enormous variety of masks used in Africa.
Masks are used in masquerades that form part of religious
ceremonies enacted to communicate with spirits and
ancestors. The masks are usually carved with an
extraordinary skill and variety by artists who will usually
have received their training as an apprentice to a master
carver - frequently it is a tradition that has been passed
down within a family through many generations. Such an
artist holds a respected position in tribal society because
of the work that he or she creates, embodying not only
complex craft techniques but also spiritual/social and
symbolic knowledge. African masks are also used in
carnivals across the Caribbean. Many African masks
represent animals. Some African tribes believe that the
animal masks can help them communicate with the spirits
who live in forests or open savannas. Masks may also
indicate a culture’s ideal of feminine beauty. Other masks
that have exaggerated long faces and broad foreheads
symbolize the soberness of one’s duty that comes with
power. War masks are also popular. Today, the qualities of
African Masks are beginning to be more understood and
appreciated.

3. By Henry Wright
(wrighth06)