Today, African tribal masks are cherished for not only their history, but also for their beauty. People have been wearing masks in Africa since the Paleolithic Era, thousands and thousands of years ago. These masks were used to celebrate harvests and weddings and to prepare for war or rejoice in peace. Masks could be used to represent gods, animals or spirits of ancestors.
Characteristics of African Tribal Masks
There are several types of African tribal masks. Face masks, the most common type of African mask, cover the whole face and attach to a costume. For example, the Punu, located in western and central Gabon, created white faced masks that are thought to represent their ancestors. These masks included hairstyles, many of which were worn by Punu women.
Horizontal plank masks were worn at the top of the head across the forehead and could represent birds in flight, such as owls. These masks are longer than they are wide. The Bwa people, who live in Mali and Burkina Faso, produced plank masks representing butterflies, owls and hawks or vultures.
Body or belly masks were worn around the body as part of a costume. Carved from a tree trunk, a belly mask usually had a matching face mask counterpart. An example of a body mask is a mask of a pregnant female body used by the Makonde tribe in Tanzania that was as part of a manhood initiation rite.
Helmet masks were made from a single piece of wood and were designed to cover the whole head. Tribes such as Sierra Leone's Mende carved helmet masks.
African Tribal Mask Materials
In general, African masks were made from wood because wood was easy to find. It was believed that because of wood's spiritual nature, masks made from wood would harbor spirits. African masks were also made from materials as varied as ivory, brass, raffia and animal skins.
African tribal masks were an important part of Africans' cultural and spiritual lives. These masks also influenced art around the world, including European artists Pablo Picasso and Andre Derain.
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