The history of the African mask goes back more than one millennium. And she appeared not for fun, as it might seem to a modern person. Each mask had its own meaning, which explains the wide variety of their types. The functions that it had to perform in the life of the tribe also depended on the type of mask.
Purpose of masks
According to the ideas of ancient man, the world was inhabited by the spirits of dead ancestors, plants, animals. They were the ones who ruled the lives of people. Some spirits were supportive of the members of the tribe, others sent disease, hunger, wars, and terrible natural phenomena. Wearing a mask during the ritual, dancers, sorcerers or tribal leaders communicated with the spirits, tried to appease them, deceive and take all troubles away from the tribe. The appearance of African masks could tell the initiates about the social status of the owner, about his occupation and about the spirits he worships.
European artists of the early 20th century valued and collected African masks. As a way of radically geometrizing the image of the human face, the African mask influenced the formation of Cubism.
The masks of deified animals are considered the most ancient. Each clan, tribe or other group of people had their own patron from the outside world. These could be animals, plants or their parts, as well as wind, sun, water. Through the totem, at the right moment, the clan's connection with the spiritual ancestors was carried out. The mask, in turn, was a mediator between a person and a deified object, which sometimes even to touch, to look at it was forbidden.
Once a year, the tribes performed an initiation ceremony. Its meaning was that adolescents were initiated into the secrets of adult male and female life. Boys, for example, were given a secret name, and the responsibilities of adolescents changed. Before the ceremony, young people had to go through many tests. The boys themselves cut out a mask for themselves, in which they had to perform a ritual dance at a festival dedicated to the ceremony. The young man chose the character of the dance and the mask himself.
Putting on a mask and playing a role is a big responsibility. The masked dancer had no right to stumble, fall, make a mistake, this could lead to reprisals against him. After all, a person in a mask gives a temporary shelter to the spirit, therefore he himself is no longer an ordinary person.
Features of making African masks
Only men had the right to put on and cut masks. The very process of their manufacture was of great mystery, before this event it was necessary to read spells, make sacrifices. No one was supposed to see the master work, so he left the village early in the morning to a secluded place. Returning late in the evening, he gave the tools and unfinished work to the leader of the tribe. It was believed that the person who made the masks was initiated into the secrets of another life, so not many wanted to communicate with him.
The masks were worn most often by representatives of the nobility. She endowed a person with power and indisputable authority, gave him special powers. The tribe members worshiped and obeyed the masked man unconditionally. Most often, it had a menacing appearance, a special color and large size.
There were also such masks that were kept in the homes of ordinary people. They could be used to communicate with the spirit of a deceased relative, who gave advice in a difficult situation, predicted the future. Such masks had a calm appearance, the eyes were depicted as closed.
The masks of the sorcerers evoked mystical fear, since due to the actions and appearance of the owner of the mask, those present entered a state of trance.
One of the most common African souvenir masks repeats the shape of the kpeli mask, which is intended for the men of the Lo secret society (Senufo people), depicts the face of the deceased and helps him find a place in the world of the dead.
Today, African masks no longer have the same power of impact on people that they had before. Now they are considered as works of art or just souvenirs for tourists.
