African Masks - Baule

BAULE MASK

This type of African mask is a Baule mask which is also known as a Goli mask. It is used in tribal dances during harvest festivals, in processions to honour distinguished visitors and at the funerals of important figures.

The circular face represents the life-giving force of the sun and the horns symbolize the great power of the buffalo. The mask is made of wood with two holes cut into the eyes to enable the wearer to see. The rectangular mouth is also typical of this type of mask.

The Baule are farmers who populate the eastern side of the Ivory Coast. They are part of the Akan people, one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa, who dwell in both Ghana and the Ivory Coast.

Biombo

BIOMBO MASK

Biombo masks are usually carved from wood and colored with red "tukula" powder, a dye made from the camwood tree.

The eyes are a typical coffee bean shape. A triangular checkerboard design is used to decorate the eyebrows and the planes of the face.

The three forms at the back of the head represent the Biombo hairstyle. Feathers are often attached to the top of Biombo masks.

Biombo masks are usually worn during tribal rituals and ceremonies.

The Biombo live south of the inter-section of the Luala and Kasai rivers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

African Masks - Bwa

BWA MASK

Bwa masks are believed to possess special powers which are controlled by those who wear them.

These masks are plank shaped with a circular face at one end and a crescent moon at the other.

Their wearer looks through a hole in the mouth. The eyes are based on an owl and the hooked nose comes from the hornbill. Both these birds are thought to possess magical powers.

The plank section is decorated with geometric patterns which are an essential design element in many African masks and carvings. Geometric pattern creates an external rhythm which echoes the internal spiritual energy of the artwork. It can also be used as a coded language where the design communicates secret knowledge to those in the know.

The designs on this Bwa Mask, which is used to celebrate boys' initiation into adulthood, represent information about the myths and morality that the boys must learn before they can be accepted into adult society.

The Bwa are a farming community who come from Mali and Burkina Faso. Masks are only made by those who live in the southern parts of their territory.

Dan

DAN MASK

Dan masks have a typically high forehead, pouting mouth and pointed chin. They may also have scarification marks like the line that splits the forehead and nose in our example above. Dan masks are carved in wood and stained with a brown dye.

Dan masks are sacred objects. Dan masks are used for protection and as a channel for communication with the spirit world. The Dan also carry small 'passport masks' for personal protection when they are living away from home.

The Dan believe that their world is split into two domains: the human domain which is represented by the village and its people, and the spiritual domain which is represented by the forest and its spirits. When a dancer wears a Dan mask he becomes the spirit of that mask. A masked dancer will speak in the language of the spirits and his words are interpreted by a wise man.

Some dancers perform masked rituals on stilts. There are many different Dan masks, each of which has a distinct use during rituals or festivals. Some masks play an important part in tribal rites while others are simply for entertainment.

Dan masks are guarded by the go master, the head of the secret society of the leopard who are responsible for the initiation rites of young men into adulthood.

The Dan are hunters and farmers whose territory stretches from the western side of the Ivory Coast into Liberia.

Goma

GOMA MASK

Goma masks are characterized by their domed heads, elongated forms, large concave eyes that are highlighted by a change of color, protruding mouths and abstract geometric designs carved on the face and forehead.

The triangular checkerboard design in this mask is typical of their surface decoration.

The Goma people come from around the northern shores of Lake Kivu, just north of Lake Tanganyika in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The region is part of the Great Rift Valley which experiences earthquakes and eruptions of the Nyiragongo and Nyamuragira volcanoes.

Goma is a the capital city of the North Kivu province, one kilometer from the Rwandan Border

Kota

KOTA MASK

The Kota are noted for their sculptural figures which are called ‘mbulu-ngulu’. They are carved in wood and covered with sheets of brass or copper to increase their power.

Kota figures have very stylized heads and simplified lozenge shaped bodies. Their faces are oval with a convex surface to represent males or a concave surface to represent females.

Some figures have faces on both sides of the head. We call this Kota statues guardian or reliquary figures as they protect the relics of an ancestor that are contained in a box, basket or bundle called the ‘Bwete’. The Kota revere the relics of their ancestors as they believe that they can call on their power to assist them with their troubles in this life.

The Kota are several different groups of people who share a similar culture. The word 'kota' means to bind or link together - an appropriate name to unite a tribe.

The Kota are a peace loving people who live in an area that stretches from East Gabon into the Congo.

Kwele

KWELE MASK

The Kwele believe in witchcraft and blame all their personal and social ills on its influence. The Kwele protect themselves against the power of witchcraft with the 'beete' ritual.

The 'beete' is a ritual that involves purification by the spirits who are represented in the form of 'ekuk' masks. 'Ekuk' means the 'spirits of the forest' and the 'children of the beete'. Kwele masks represent the antelope whose flesh was eaten at the end of the 'beete' ritual.

Kwele masks have two large horns which sometimes encircle and frame the face. Areas of the face are often painted with white kaolin clay, the color of the spirits. Kwele 'ekuk' masks are beautifully stylised with a heart shaped face, almond shaped eyes and a small or non-existent mouth.

The Kwele occupy a huge area of forested land that stretches across the borders of Gabon, Cameroon and the Congo.

Ligbi

LIGBI MASK

Ligbi masks are used in the celebration of Islamic holidays, especially the end of Ramadan. The dancers who wear these masks are noted for their elegantly synchronized movements as they dance in pairs.

The typical Ligbi mask has an elongated face trimmed with wings on either side. The eyes are shaded and the mouth is rectangular. Both animal and human forms are combined in the mask image.Make-up and jewellery are also added to decorate Ligbi masks during the celebration.

The Ligbi people, who are related to the Senufo, are a community originally from Ghana who now inhabit the Ivory Coast. Ligbi is also the name of their language.

Lulua

LULUA MASK

The Lulua were famous for decorating their bodies with intricate scarification marks and tattoos. They also applied these designs to their sculptures and masks.

The masks, which are rare, are usually incised with geometric pattern and colored with a reddish pigment. The pointed forms on the top of the head represent the Lulua hairstyle.

The Lulua, previously called the Bena Lulua, are related to the Lwalwa and like them, the men hunt and the women farm.

The name Lulua was given to the various peoples who live around the Lulua River in the Democratic Republic of the Congo by the German explorers Hermann Von Wissmann and Paul Pogge in 1881.

Lwalwa

LWALWA MASK

The Lwalwa mask above is an ‘mvondo’ mask which is worn by men.

Lwalwa masks are stylized using simple geometric forms to represent the features of the face. The eyes of the mask are rectangular holes and the nose is a long flat triangle that often stretches to the top of the head. The ears are reduced to small bumps and a stylized mouth projects from above a pointed chin.

Lwalwa masks are carved from a wood called ‘mulela’ and colored with a dye from the fruit of the ‘mukula’ tree, also called the ‘bloodwood’ or ‘sealing wax’ tree.

Lwalwa sculptors are privileged members of the tribe and are highly paid for their craft. Their skills are often passed down from father to son.

The Lwalwa are famous for their dancing and masks play an important

part in their celebrations, particularly the secret rituals of the ‘bangongo’ society who were responsible for the initiation of young men into adulthood.

The Lwalwa people are related to the Lulua and like them, the men are hunters and the women are farmers. They live in the southwest area of the Democratic Republic of the Congo stretching into Angola.

PendeThe Pende mask above is a ‘Panya Ngombe’ mask which has a combination of a human and buffalo features. This type of mask comes from the Kasai Pende who live in the east of their territory.

These masks are decorated with incised triangular grids that are often painted with dark and light pigments to create a checkerboard effect.

This ‘Panya Ngombe’ mask would be hung above the door or window of a chief’s dwelling.

The Pende carve several different types of masks that they use to communicate with the spirits during rituals.

The Pende believe that the spirits of their ancestors can positively or negatively influence the quality of their lives.

The Pende are mostly farmers who supplement their diet by hunting and fishing. They live in the southwest area of the Democratic Republic of the Congo around the Loango and Kasai Rivers.

PunuPunu masks represent the idealized beauty of Punu women, and should only be carved by Punu men.

They are portrayed with their traditional high-domed hairstyle, diamond- shaped scarification marks on their forehead and they often have eyes that display oriental characteristics. The elaborate Punu hairstyles suggest that the wearer is wealthy as her hair has not been flattened by the need to carry goods.

Sometimes Punu masks are painted white with kaolin clay to represent the spirits of dead ancestors during funerals.

Since the 18th century, the Punu have lived on the left bank of the Upper Ngoume River in Gabon. They are one of a group of tribes known as the Shira who originally came from the Luango kingdom of Angola.

Senufo

SENUFO MASK

Senufo masks are created by specialist artists who live apart from the rest of their village. Senufo masks combine features of animals and humans in a single design.

The Senufo artists have a high status in their society as their masks and sculptures are believed to have the power to help communication between the living and their dead ancestors.

Senufo masks are used in the rites of the Poro society, a male organization that educates young men in the traditions and responsibilities necessary for their coming of age.

The Senufo worship their ancestors, particularly Kolotyolo - the ‘Ancient Mother’ who is holds so much power that she has to be carefully approached through intervention by lesser gods.

The Senufo are a farming people of over 1,000,000 that stretch across various bordering countries in West Africa including the Ivory Coast, Ghana, Burkina Faso and South Mali.

Teke

TEKE MASK

Teke moon shaped masks are worn by members of the Kiduma - a secret society that takes charge of social celebrations and rituals.

The mask is held in place with a bite bar at the back which the wearer holds in his teeth.

These masks are usually decorated with geometric symbols and divided by a horizontal stripe. They are colored with clay and paint.

The Teke people come from the Congo Republics and Gabon. They are well known as traders and the name 'teke' means 'to buy'.

Woyo

WOYO MASK

Woyo masks are usually painted with contrasting colors against a white background and are often worn with a full length costume made from banana leaves.

The colors used in a Woyo mask have symbolic meaning and are sometimes repainted to renew its power.

Woyo masks are carved for the ritual dances of the 'ndunga', a male society responsible for maintaining social order.

The Woyo believe in witchcraft. Ordeals by fire and poison are used to determine the guilt of those who have been practicing sorcery.

The Woyo are mostly fishermen who live on the Atlantic coast in the Angolan province of Cabinda and

spread inland to the southwest region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Yohure

YOHURE MASK

The Yohure are noted for their beautifully crafted masks that combine human and animal features.

They have elaborate hairstyles which often include horns, elongated faces with a high forehead, arched eyebrows and a low protruding mouth. The face of a Yohure mask is outlined with triangular zigzag designs.

Yohure masks are used in dance rituals to help villagers come to terms with the death of one of their people. The masks represent the Yu spirits who restore the social balance after a bereavement.

These masks are considered very powerful and dangerous objects. They must be kept out of sight of women for fear of the effects that the supernatural powers of the Yu spirits may have on them.

The Yohure live in the central region of the Ivory Coast to the east of the city of Bouafle.