The document provides an overview of the Dogon ethnic group from Mali, detailing their history, culture, and the significance of masks in their society. It explains the role of masks in religious ceremonies, artistic expression, and communication with spirits and ancestors, emphasizing the intertwining of spirituality and art in Dogon life. The text also touches on the broader context of African masks and their influence on modern art movements.

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AFRICAN MASKSAFRICAN MASKSBy Jeremy Smith & adapted from info from these sites:
http://www.africaclub.com/dogoni.htm , http://cti.itc.virginia.edu/~bcr/African_Mask_Images.html ,
http://www.slideshare.net/SydneyTurnbull/quiz-images-7236024 ,
http://cguprojects.tripod.com/toguna.html ,
http://www.trocadero.com/michaelcichontribalarts/items/950993/item950993.html ,
http://www.everyculture.com/Ja-Ma/Mali.html

2. ESSENTIAL QUESTIONESSENTIAL QUESTION
 HOW CAN ART MAKE
CONNECTIONS
OUTSIDE OF THE
CLASSROOM?

5. Brief Information about theBrief Information about the
DogonDogon from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/167974/Dogonfrom http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/167974/Dogon
 Dogon, ethnic group of the central plateau region of Mali that spreads across the border into
Burkina Faso. There is some doubt as to the correct classification of the many dialects of the
Dogon language; the language has been placed in the Mande, Gur, and other branches of the
Niger-Congo language family, but its relationship to other languages of the family, if any, is uncertain.
The Dogon number about 600,000, and the majority of them live in the rocky hills, mountains, and
plateaus of the Bandiagara Escarpment. They are mainly an agricultural people; their few craftsmen,
largely metalworkers and leatherworkers, form distinct castes. They have no centralized system of
government but live in villages composed of patrilineages and extended families whose head is the
senior male descendant of the common ancestor. Polygyny is practiced but reportedly has a low
incidence.
 Each large district has a hogon, or spiritual leader, and there is a supreme hogon for the whole
country. In his dress and behaviour the hogon symbolizes the Dogon myth of creation, to which the
Dogon relate much of their social organization and culture. Their metaphysical system—which
categorizes physical objects, personifies good and evil, and defines the spiritual principles of the
Dogon personality—is more abstract than that of most other African peoples. Dogon religious life is
heightened every 60 years by a ceremony called the sigui, which occurs when the star Sirius appears
between two mountain peaks. Before the ceremony, young men go into seclusion for three months,
during which they talk in a secret language. The general ceremony rests on the belief that some 3,000
years ago amphibious beings from Sirius visited the Dogon. Fewer than half the Dogon are Muslim,
and fewer still are Christian. Most practice traditional religion.

6. History of the DogonHistory of the Dogon
The Dogon are one the most interesting ethnic group of Mali. They live on
the cliffs of Bandiagara, a zone of difficult access. It has reduced the
influence of Islam, and it has helped to preserve intact the Dogon culture.
The cliffs of Bandiagara were firstly inhabited by the Pygmy, that found in
the numerous caves of the walls, the perfect environement to defend
themselves against the attacks of their enemies. Then the Tellem took the
place, and used the houses that the Pygmy had made into the caves, to store
the grain. Dogon peoples arrived to the cliffs of Bandiagara running away
from the Mossi kingdom of Yatenga in the XIV century, and used the caves
as graves.
The Dogon inherited from the Tellem "art" rectilineal designs. All the
objects used in rituals were made by blacksmiths, that worked with wood the
same way he did with metal. The result is a lineal composition, in which
harmony is more important than details.

7. Common Purposes for Mask-wearingCommon Purposes for Mask-wearing
and makingand making
 A mask is an article normally worn on the face, typically
for protection, concealment, performance, or amusement.
Masks have been used since antiquity for both ceremonial
and practical purposes. They are usually worn on the
face, although they may also be positioned for effect
elsewhere on the wearer's body, so in parts of Australia
giant totem masks cover the body, whilst Inuit women use
finger masks during storytelling and dancing.[1]

8. 1. Watching this slideshow and developing a little
background on the culture of the Dogon, an indigenous
group from West Mali, Africa.
2. Develop some familiarity with Dogon culture, beliefs and
their art.
3. Learn about customs and rituals.
4. Create a mask from corrugated card board that would
seem similar to Dogon style (but it will reflect your own
sense of individuality)
What we are doing to extend our learning:

9. Masks from other world culturesMasks from other world cultures
Various Balinese topengs
(dance masks). A Beijing Opera Mask

10. Early MasksEarly Masks
Neolithic stone mask Fang mask

11. A variety of masksA variety of masks
Aztec mask of Xiuhtecuhtli, c.
1500, of Mixtec-Aztec
provenance
Leather mask hand made by J. C. V
elasquez

12. African MasksAfrican Masks

13. More Masks from the African DiasporaMore Masks from the African Diaspora

14. West African MasksWest African Masks

15. AFRICAN MASKSAFRICAN MASKS

16. AFRICAN MASKSAFRICAN MASKS
 There are a wide variety of masks used in Africa. In West Africa,
masks are used in masquerades that form part of religious
ceremonies enacted to communicate with spirits and ancestors.
 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
 Ritual ceremonies generally depict deities, spirits of ancestors,
mythological beings, good and or evil, the dead, animal spirits, and
other beings believed to have power over humanity.
 Masks of human ancestors or totem ancestors (beings or animals
to which a clan or family traces its ancestry) are often objects of
family pride; when they are regarded as the dwelling of the spirit
they represent, the masks may be honored with ceremonies and
gifts.

17. Mask HistoryMask History
 In Africa masks can be traced back to well past Paleolithic
times. These art objects were, and are still made of
various materials, included are leather, metal, fabric and
various types of wood.
 During celebrations, initiations, crop harvesting, war
preparation, peace and trouble times, African masks are
worn by a chosen or initiated dancer.
 It can be worn in three different ways: vertically covering
the face: as helmets, encasing the entire head, and as
crest, resting upon the head, which was commonly
covered by material as part of the disguise.
 African masks often represent a spirit and it is strongly
believed that the spirit of the ancestors possesses the
wearer.

18. KANGA MASKKANGA MASK
The face has a triangular structure. The cross-of-Lorraine superstructure type
represents actually the outstretched wings of a mythical bird, the komondo, and
reports to the creation myth. The triangular shape of the face is the upper jaw of
the bird, and the conical form below it is the tongue. According to certain
myths, the superstructure is the God's hand. The two small figures on the top
represent the first human couple to which the Dogon traced their origin. The
higher part of the cross symbolizes the supernatural world, and the lower part
symbolizes the society world. The union between both worlds is the line that
joins the higher and the lower part of the cross. In ritual ceremonies, the carrier
of the mask dances, pointing out the cross towards the ground, to connect earth
and heaven. In funeral ceremonies, members of the Awa society wore these
masks when dancing on the roof of dead's house in order to lead his soul
(nyama) to its resting place and, at the same time, to defend the survivors from
the harm a wandering soul might inflict upon them. After the ceremony, they
considered the deceased man as an ancestor (from Ladislas Segy's "Masks of
West Africa" ).
The masks are also worn to protect hunters against the revenge of the animal he
has killed.

19. The Elements of Style in an African MaskThe Elements of Style in an African Mask
ContinuedContinued
 The simplification and abstraction of
visual elements in the art of the African
Mask emphasize its expressive power.

20. The Elements of Style in an African MaskThe Elements of Style in an African Mask
 There are two main forces that
influence the style of an African
tribal mask:
 1. The traditional style that is
dictated by the social and religious
beliefs of the community.
 2. The individual vision of the
carver.African tribal artists do not try
to create a perfect representation of
their subject. Although some realistic
portraits are made, others celebrate
more abstract qualities like nobility,
beauty, courage, mischief and
humour. They create an idealised
version, emphasising those elements
that they consider most important.

21. Other stylesOther styles
Emma Anyara (European mask),
Dogon, Mali

22. The Role of the African Tribal ArtistThe Role of the African Tribal Artist
 The artist holds a respected position in
African tribal society. It is his job to provide
the various masks and sculptures for use in
ritual ceremonies.
 His work is valued for its spiritual, rather than
its aesthetic qualities. Art without a 'spiritual
dimension', in the broadest sense of the term,
never transcends the level of mere
craftsmanship and is unable to communicate
those elevated emotions that are born from a
deeper mystical inspiration.

23. The Influence of African ArtThe Influence of African Art
 When artists and collectors in the West first took an interest in African Art,
they did not appreciate its social or spiritual function. African art was
simply viewed as a naive genre with a strong visual impact.
 At the dawn of the 20th century, European artists were looking for new
forms of expression that challenged, rather than simply illustrated, their
rapidly changing world of ideas and technology. The traditional techniques
of realism and perspective seemed overworked and predictable.
 Their solution was to draw on images from other cultures and fuse them
with European influences to refresh the tired traditions of Western art. The
new perspectives that these cultures offered opened many doors of
development which led to the cross-polination of ideas and styles that
constitute our art world today.
 The expressive power of African art was fundamental to this revolution and
to the development of the first modernist styles: Cubism, Fauvism and
Expressionism.
 http://www.artyfactory.com/africanmasks/context/artist.htm

24. The Elements of Art found in African MasksThe Elements of Art found in African Masks
•COMPOSITION - Formal symmetrical arrangements of line, shape and form in
figures and masks evoke integrity and dignity.
•TEXTURE - Skilled craftsmanship, fine detail and quality of finish are of great
importance to the African tribal artist. Highly polished surfaces which represent a
youthful healthy skin reflect the idea of beauty and virtue, while rough dirty
surfaces suggest fear and evil. Many African carvings portray the idealized
human figure in its prime, brimming with health, strength, and celebrating fertility
or virility.
•SHAPE - African masks take on many forms. They can be oval, circular,
rectangular, elongated, heart-shaped, animal or human, or any combination of
these.

25. Culture of the DogonCulture of the Dogon
An example of
a Dogon dwelling called a
Togu na, The Dogon
culture exists a meeting
place relative to city hall
and central to the life
force and cosmology of
the community. All
manner of business and
social issues are
discussed here. Rites of
passage are performed
here. Teaching, work and
game playing are
happening in this space
as well. The "Togu Na" or
House of Words is also
known as the House of
the Mother, although
women were not allowed
to enter its walls. A
related a similar concept,
the "Kodzidan" or House
of Stories, is also a
discourse model for
creating community
environments which
include women and
children.

26. Dogon Masks: Satimbe motifDogon Masks: Satimbe motif
 This complex mask form represents a 'yasigine,' a
specific type of Dogon woman. Among the Dogon
of Mali, West Africa, the name 'Satimbe' means
"sister on the head." The image of a woman on
these masks represents the few female members of
the 'Awa Society,' which is responsible for all
masquerades performed.
 It is believed these legendary women of origin
stories first discovered mask-making in primordial
times, before it became an exclusively male
privilege. In classic style, this Satimbe shows a
full-breasted woman atop a simplified, slotted face
mask of primordial form. It has been suggested
these masks also allude to the nurturing role
expected of all Dogon women.

27. Rituals etcRituals etc
˜ Two Dogon people
perform a
divination ritual
using the prints left
in the sand by a
jackal.
˜ An estimated 19
percent of Mali's
population follows
traditional religious
practices.

28. Antelope motifs/other infoAntelope motifs/other info
 The Strong Antelope
 mask, Walu Dogon
peoples, Mali Wood,
pigment
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBmPo
 http://www.everyculture.com/Ja-Ma/Mali.h
 http://www.pbs.org/wnet/africa/expl
ore/sahel/sahel_music_lo.html

29. 1. Watching this slideshow and developing a little background
on the culture of the Dogon, an indigenous group from West
Mali, Africa.
2. Develop some familiarity with Dogon culture, beliefs and
their art.
3. Learn about customs and rituals.
4. Create a mask from corrugated card board that would seem
similar to Dogon style (but it will reflect your own sense of
individuality)
5. I will play the PBS music and show a video of the integration
of the mask in Dogon ceremonies from the BBC.
What we are doing to extend our learning:

30. THE ENDTHE END