What do masks represent in African culture?
In rituals, African masks represent deities, mythological beasts and gods; metaphors for good and evil, the dead, animals, nature and any other force that is considered more powerful than man himself.
What is the history of African mask?
It is believed that the earliest masks were used in Africa before Paleolithic era. They represent spirits of animals or ancestors, mythological heroes, moral values or a form of honoring of a person in a symbolic way. They are made from wood, pottery, textiles, copper and bronze.
What is the cultural significance of masks?
Many masks are primarily associated with ceremonies that have religious and social significance or are concerned with funerary customs, fertility rites, or the curing of sickness. Other masks are used on festive occasions or to portray characters in a dramatic performance and in reenactments of mythological events.
Why were masks important in early African cultures?
Africa possesses a long tradition of masking and it is believed that masks were integral to their culture long before the first century B.C. The wide variety of uses for masks, which included rituals of myth, creation, and hero worship, as well as fertility rituals for increase, agricultural festivities, funerals or …
What is the cultural and social significance of an African mask?
Masks were very important during ceremonies because they were used to entertain the people. The masks made dancers look more exciting, and they played a major role in arousing the interest of the audience. The mask wearer can become a sort of medium that allows for a dialogue between the community and the spirits.
Why did they make African masks?
For thousands of years, African people have incorporated tribal masks into their cultural ceremonies, rituals, and celebrations. It is thought that when a person (often a man) wears a mask, he becomes a sort of medium, capable of communicating with spirits and ancestors on behalf of the community.
What was the purpose of masks in history?
They are used for protection, disguise, entertainment or ritual practices and are made from various materials, depending of use. Earliest use of masks was for rituals and ceremonies, and the oldest found mask is from 7000 BC.
What is the history of face masks?
They have been worn to woo or to wage war. They have been worn to hide or to identify. They have been used to protect or to punish. The earliest known masks are 9000 year old Neolithic stone masks from Judea, some of which were found in caves near the Dead Sea.
What are facts about African masks?
The Baule people carve African masks to be worn while dancing during harvest festivals. The mask’s round shape is a reminder of the Sun, the source of all life. These people respect the tremendous power possessed by the water buffalo which is represented by the horns carved into the top of the mask.
What is the meaning behind African masks?
African masks have a rich varied history. They have been used in African rituals and ceremonies for a long time. It is believed that the earliest masks originated during the Paleolithic era . They were and still are believed to represent the spirits of animals or ancestors and mythological heroes.
Why are African masks used in Africa?
African masks should be seen as part of a ceremonial costume. They are used in religious and social events to represent the spirits of ancestors or to control the good and evil forces in the community . They come to life, possessed by their spirit in the performance of the dance, and are enhanced by both the music and atmosphere of the occasion.
What is the common material used to make African masks?
African masks are made from a range of available materials: wood, bronze, brass, copper, ivory, terracotta and glazed pottery, raffia and textiles . They are often decorated with cowrie shells, colored beads, bone, animal skins and vegetable fibre.