the power of masks

ThePOWER

of MASKS

Decisions resulting from the use of power have consequences

that affect relationships.

Masks have the power…

• to disguise

• to hide the identity or mood of a person

• to transform the wearing into another being

• to change the identity of the wearer

• to give a sense of continuity between the present and past

• to empower

• to protect

Masks are used for warfare and as protective devices in certain sports.

http://silini4.s3ra.com http://thisisnodeclaration.blogspot.com/2009/02/from-canadian-design-resource.html

to Protect

Horned MaskA Poro society mask.It projects power throughits horns to summons the power of the forest.

CongoMulandwa Mask

Empowers warriors with energy and fierceness.

Masks protects against the unknown forces of the universe.

Masks have played an important part in religious rites to prevent and to cure disease.

myorbit.tv johnnydepp-zone.com

the Plague 1347

Doctors dressed to protect themselves from the virus and from the rotten stench ofdeath and the plague.

IndonesiaSkull Mask

It scares off evil whileenhancing the spiritual and

healing powersof the shaman who wears it.

Papau New GuineaGable Mask

This mask is hung over the door of meeting placesfor men. It protects against

evil spirits for the maleelders.

TibetGompo Mask

Has the power to protect.

Burkina FasoFemale Koba Antelope Mask

Protects ancestor spirits.

CongoFemale Kifwebe Hut Mask

Protects against diseaseand evil spirits.

CongoMale Kifwebe Mask

It has the power to healand protect.

NepalHanuman MaskSymbolizing themonkey god whoprotects againstmalicious spirits.

Pay Tribute

Montreal Canadian’s goaltender Carey Price’s mask will have many believing they're looking at legendary Habs goalie Jacques Plante.

CanadaPortrait MaskHaida maskrepresenting

a relative.

Nigeria - Mba MaskUsed in plays for portraying self-admiring girls.

Maiden Spirit MaskRepresents the spirits of maidens returning from the afterworld.

Totem Masks

• Believing everything in nature possesses a spirit, man found authority for himself and his family by identifying with a specific nonhuman spirit. He adopted an object of nature; then he mythological traced his ancestry back to the chosen object; he preempted the animal as the emblem of himself and his clan.

• This is the practice of totem, which consolidates family pride and distinguishes social lines.

• Masks are made to house the totem spirit. The totem ancestor is believed actually to materialize in its mask; thus masks are of the utmost importance in securing protection and bringing comfort to the totem clan.

Totems• The Northwest Coast Indians of

North America, in particular, devised mechanical masks with movable parts to reveal a second face—generally a human image.

• Believing that the human spirit could take animal form and vice versa, the makers of these masks fused man and bird or man and animal into one mask.

• Some of these articulating masks acted out entire legends as their parts moved.

www.costalart.com

Animal SpiritFour Winds

Touch the SkyNative Son Designs by Gregory Dunnfound at The Adobe Trading Posthttp://www.powerplace.com/

In secret societies only the members can view the Totem worn by the elders at initiation ceremonies

Haida Secret Society Maskhttp://www.civilization.ca/cmc/exhibitions/tresors/treasure/images/240_1b.gif

Some African tribes believe that the animal masks can help them communicate with the spirits who live in forests or open savannas.

http://www.artyfactory.com/africanmasks/context/artist.htm

http://cti.itc.virginia.edu/~bcr/African_Mask.html

Waniougo MaskIvory Coast

Has the power to recall mythical events inanti-witchcraft ceremonies.

Angola Mukanda Men’s Initiation Mask

It symbolizes a female ancestor and used during male initiation

rituals.

Day of the Dead

• Celebrated in Mexico Nov 2nd to honour dead ancestors

• masks are made to look like skeletons with the deceased name written on the forehead.

• These are brought to the graveyard as offerings.

photoblog.statesman.com postmodernobody.org

Death Masks

http://www.egyptiandreams.co.uk/images/rulers/tut-death-mask.jpg

The funerary mask served to guide the spirit of the deceased back to its final resting place in the body.

They were commonly made of cloth covered with stucco or plaster, which was then painted.

For more important personages, silver and gold were used.

To Empower

Milwaukee Public Museumhttp://www.mpm.edu/collect/mask.html

Some masks represent evil, or potentially harmful spirits and are used to keep a required balance of power within a culture.

Sri LankaKolam Sanniya MaskHas the power to heal

contagious diseases likecholera.

NigeriaBush Cow Helmet Mask

Used in funeral ceremoniesto lead the dead to the

next world.

Discipline/Punish

• to discipline and admonish women, children, and criminals.

Secret African societies use masks to escape recognition while punishing marauders.

http://www.johnnydepp-zone.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=46102&p=1177617

Judgment Masks

A priest of the Poro Society wears this mask, which represents the spirit of a woman.

• When the priest puts this mask on, he is possessed by the women's spirit. Disputes are settled using the powers of this mask, and the priest takes on a women's personality and a high, feminine voice.

• The final decision, which cannot be challenged, is considered to be the impartial judgment of the spirit.

• In many cultures, a judge wears a mask to protect him from future recriminations.

• the mask represents a traditionally sanctioned spirit from the past who assumes responsibility for the decision levied on the culprit.

NigeriaBishop Mask

Gives the wearer authority in religious

matters.

TibetBhairava MaskIt has the power

to defendlaws.

NigeriaEkpo Society MaskUsed by male society

members to honour the deadby enforcing the laws.

CongoKifwebe Association Mask

Exercises social controland seeks contributions, and

redistributes wealth.

CameroonBekorn Helmet MaskShows respect to a king and is worn tosymbolize bowing.

to Transform

to Transform• Masks to transform are

important for Halloween, Mardi Gras, or “masked balls”

• Give the wearer the power to experience being someone or something they are not.

• Gives the wearer a new identity and the freedom to act differently.

Venice 1268 - 1797

• Masks concealed identities so people could do sinful acts or break the law with impunity.

• The mask was an outlet to escape everyday life that didn’t allow for privacy.

• A few times a year (usually during religious festivals) masks were banned

• From Dec 26 – Shrove Tuesday, masks are encouraged and continue to this day – Venetian Carnival.

• Masks served an important social purpose of keeping every citizen on an equal playing field.

• On October 17, 1797 Venice became part of Austria and masked celebrations were outlawed.

• Now masks are worn during the week long celebration of Mardi Gras.

http://touritaly.org/tours/venice/venice07.htm

to Disguise

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v123/apennyworth/greenhornet/props/ghornetkato.jpg

Masks have long been used in military connections. A war mask will have a malevolent expression or hideously fantastic features to instill fear in the enemy.

The ancient Greeks and Romans used battle shields with grotesque masks or attached terrifying masks to their armor, as did the Chinese warrior.

Grimacing menpo, or mask helmets, were used by Japanese samurai.

Greek Comedy Tragedy Masks

In Ancient Greece, masks depicted an extensive variety of personalities, ages, ranks, and occupations.

Greek mask were designed to throw the voice with a built-in megaphone device.

thatwoman.wordpress.com

It was possible for the Greek to impersonate a number of different characters during the play simply by changing masks and costumes.

1. Create a mask that gives the wearer special powers when worn.

2. The mask must embody this power in its appearance.

3. Write a reflection that explains how the decision to wear this mask could have consequences on various types of relationships.

TASK

Learning outcomes:

• become increasingly independent • in the realization of the creative • process• utilize a broad range of ways • to make meaning• develop an awareness of their • personal preferences.

Examples of student work….try to determine what power is being expressed in each….

References:http://www.anymask.com/maskstore/historyofmask.html

http://bun.i.hosei.ac.jp/~engl/cfs/single/maskfethr.html

www.getimmediate.com/ cooling-collar/Masks.html

www.thecostumer.com/ store/subcat.cfm?subcatID=223

http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/15965662/

http://www.deviantart.com/view/15556785/

http://www.deviantart.com/view/15556696/

http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/16785183/

ise.uvic.ca/.../Rom/ UVic1998/ByScene/Rom1.5.html

http://theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,18245417-16947,00.html

www.thecostumeshop.net

Masks of the world

Student examples courtesy of Mrs Catherine Ho