African Masks

African Masks

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African Masks

Masks are a feature of the African culture, having been used since the Palaeolithic era. The artistic masks were made from a variety of materials and are used in ceremonies and rituals. The African masks are symbolic, and the maker is high-ranked in the community. This paper discusses the features and relevance African masks.

The African masks were made from a variety of materials. The artists used copper, bronze, wood, pottery and textiles to make the masks (Finley, 1999). The mask-makers also used wood, hair, bones and teeth to add details on the masks. Makers of the masks were very respected in the community, and were ranked high, and the people believed that the mask-makers were connected to some spirits. In most circumstances, the masks were shaped like an animal-muzzle, or the human face.

The African masks were symbolic. They were used to represent the spirits of ancestors or animals, moral values or mythological heroes. The African art of mas.............