By: Laura Evans
Throughout the ages, cultural masks have not only been used to disguise peoples' identities, masks have been used for religious and ceremonial purposes. Masks continue to attract those who appreciate art and history.
Ceremonial and Cultural Masks
- Korean masks, called t'al, usually depict human faces, but also include animals and deities. The colors used when painting masks have traditional meanings. For example, the color red can signify a young man, south and summer. Black means an elderly person, north and winter. White is represents a young woman. Since masks and the dramas in which masks were used were developed by the common classes, masks representing the upper classes might include harelips or other facial deformities.
- Hopi masks involve Kachinas, Hopi religious symbols for the essences of life. Like other masks from around the world, Hopi masks colors have meanings. For instance, red indicates south or southeast. The Hopi use symbols on the masks to give information about who or what the mask represents, including animal tracks, symbols for the sun or the moon or vertical lines underneath the eyes to indicate a warrior's footprints. Types of Hopi masks include the helmet, circular, spherical sack, half-mask and leather face. These masks are so significant to the Hopi people that some of the Hopi leadership have asked museums to return any masks that the museums have in their collections.
- Among the challenges of learning about ancient Greek masks is that these masks only exist today as illustrations on surviving vessels and mosaics. These masks were used in ancient Greek theatre. Only a few actors worked on any given play. Since actors had to portray several characters in ancient theater, an actor could become different characters during the course of the play by changing masks. Although women were portrayed in Greek theater, women were not allowed to act, so masks also allowed male actors to become women. In addition, masks enabled the chorus to have a uniform appearance.
