African Masks by Aurash Jamasbi

African Traditional Masks

1) What is the piece of material culture?

African Traditional Masks

2) What is it made of? Where is it produced and by whom?

Made of: wood,copper, bronze,ivory,glazed pottery,terra cotta,raffia,textiles. Then decorated with materials including: beads,  bones, animal skin, cowrie shells, and vegetable fibre.

It is produced in Africa and usually made and worn by the people of the Subsaharan and West African.

3) What is it used for?

• ceremonies
• rituals
• initiations
• secret communications
• celebrations.

4) Who might use it and how long have people been using it?

The masks are used for many purposes.
For example, in many celebrations,  a dancer is chosen and wears the mask.

• African Traditional Masks can be marked back all the way back to Paleolithic times.

5) How would they use it? How do you know that?

One of the main is using a mask as a “spirit”. Dating back to hundreds of years, these masks have had the same use and each tribe uses a different representation of a mask.

6) What symbols or markings does it contain? Describe it in full detail.

Most masks vary on materials and decorations. Most tribes have different masks. Each symbol on the different masks have different meanings to different cultures. Many masks have animal representations or even “dead people”. The shape is carved from these two, and then decorated. Many markings on these masks, include creating an eyes, nose, and mouth. This is the consistent thing in most masks.

7) What aspect of society does this item relate to: work, home, religion. etc.?

• religion
• art
• culture

8) Could people of African descent live comfortably without it?

Africans can live comfortably without it but it takes a huge part of African culture away from them.

http://rebirth.co.za/African_mask_history_and_meaning.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_traditional_mask
http://www.african-tribal-art.net/?page_id=2