History of Traditional African Masks
[2023-08-22 02:58:49]
A major characteristic of African people's culture is to use masks in rituals and ceremonies. The oldest mask is considered to have been used in Africa before the Paleolithic Age. They represent symbolic respect for animals and ancestral souls, mythical heroes, moral values, or human figures. They are made of wood, pottery, textiles, copper, bronze. You can make details from animals' teeth, hair, bones, horns, feathers, shells, even straw and egg shells. As people believe that he is connected with the spiritual world, mask manufacturers are ranked highest in the village.
African masks are mostly shaped like a face or a specific animal tone. The African culture is very stylized to distinguish something's appearance from its essence. These masks are used to represent abstract themes that describe styling. Animals are a common theme in the art of mask making Africa. They represent the spirit of animals, animals hold masks and themselves become animals, for example allowing communication with animals by keeping animals away from the village. In other cases, animals are a symbol of virtue. The most common animals represented by masks are Buffalo, Hyena, Eagle, Alligator, Antelope. Antelope is one of the most widely used animal masks. It symbolizes agriculture and is worn to achieve better crops. Horn represents the growth of millet, the root of a plant, and the ear represents a song that women sing during harvesting. Masks are sometimes made with different animal details, and then they represent some virtues. For example, to express strength, the mask is made of fangs, crocodile teeth, and fangs. Masks representing values can also be in the form of human beings. In the face expressing restlessness and perseverance, one eye has a small mouth, the other has humility, and the other has a face with a large amount of wisdom. Mask of big chin represents strength and strength
Another theme of the African mask is the face of a woman shaped by the ideal of the beauty of women. Some tribes have chest and decorative scars, but other tribes have almond shaped eyes, curved eyelashes, thin jaws and accessories. All of these are considered beautiful attributes of women of each tribe. In most cases, wearing these female masks is for men.
Masks representing ancestors are most often shaped in the human skull. They are used as ceremonies, witnesses, as defenders of death ancestry who need approval, or as a subject of respect.
The mask is worn by a dancer and then becomes the "master" of the mask spirit, the medium between the tribe and the spirit. This embarrassing state is achieved through specific music and dance. Mask dance for wedding ceremonies, rituals, funeral
The history of the African mask dates back to the Paleolithic age. These masks play an important role in African culture. In the past, masks were used in various rituals. These masks are made of metal, wood, cloth and so on. Their unique design, and most importantly, the idea of making these masks make African masks an important place for world-famous art galleries. Art history enthusiasts and collectors are also interested in collecting these masks as well. World famous painter Picasso met Africa mask in 1907 and was surprised at its design and meaning.
Traditional African masks are one of the elements of great African art that has the most obvious influence on European and Western art, and in the 20th century art movements such as Cubism, Forvisism, Expressionism are often It was the broad and diverse tradition of African masks. I get inspiration. The influence of this legacy is also seen in other traditions, such as the Carnival parade of the mask of South America and Central America. In most traditional African cultures, those wearing a ritual mask conceptually lose his or her life and become the spirit represented by the mask itself. This change in the spirit of the mask wearer is usually dependent on other customs such as ritual costumes that help to hide cert