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Masks
The viewing of masks is often restricted to certain peoples or places,
even when used in performance, or masquerade. African masks manifest
spirits of ancestors or nature as well as characters that are spiritual
and social forces. During a masquerade, which is performed during
ceremonial occasions such as agricultural, initiation, leadership and
funerary rites, the mask becomes the otherworld being. When collected
by Western cultures, masks are often displayed without their costume
ensemble and lack the words, music and movement, or dance, that are
integral to the context of African masquerades.
Visually, masks are often a combination of human and animal traits.
They can be made of wood, natural or man-made fibers, cloth and animal
skin. Masks are usually worn with costumes and can, to some extent, be
categorized by form, which includes face masks, crest masks, cap masks,
helmet masks, shoulder masks, and fiber and body masks. Maskettes,
which are shaped like masks, are smaller and are not worn on or over
the face. They may be worn on an individual’s arm or hip or hung on a
fence or other structure near the performance area.
Sculpture
The cultures of Africa have created a world-renowned tradition of
three-dimensional and relief sculpture. Everyday and ceremonial works
of great delicacy and surface detail are fashioned by artists using
carving, modeling, smithing and casting techniques. Masks, figures,
musical instruments, containers, furniture, tools and equipment are all
part of the sculptor’s repertoire.
The human figure is perhaps the most prominent sculptural form in
Africa, as it has been for millennia. Male and female images in wood,
ivory, bone, stone, earth, fired clay, iron and copper alloy embody
cultural values, depict the ideal and represent spirits, ancestors and
deities. Used in a broad range of contexts--initiation, healing,
divination,
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