05 Jan 2019 African Tribal Masks

As a handicraft collector from various nations across the globe, I have seen diversified hand crafted things created creatively by human beings. Handicraft is one of the closest ways of showcasing God gifted talent that comes out through hand in synchronization with head, heart, eyes and many more senses.

Amongst various nations and continents that I have traveled across, African nations are one of the richest in creating hand crafted things. They are one of the most original in form, style and history stands as a testimony to this fact. Africa has been the masters of wood sculpturing. Whether it is their mask, human figurines, animal sculptures or creative wooden furniture, they are unparalleled in their style, finesse and intricate craftsmanship.

Decorative Fang Mask from Ghana, Africa

African tribal mask is one of the most talked about handicraft items in the world. Because African mask has a very interesting side in its creation. African masks were originally made for ritual and ceremonial purposes only. Masks usually have a spiritual and religious meaning and they are used in ritual dances and social and religious events, and a special status is attributed to the artists that create masks and to those that wear them in ceremonies. In most traditional African cultures, the person who wears a ritual mask conceptually loses his or her human identity and turns into the spirit represented by the mask itself. This transformation of the mask wearer into a spirit usually relies on other practices, such as specific types of music and dance, or ritual costumes that contribute to conceal the mask-wearer’s human identity. The mask wearer thus becomes a sort of medium that allows for a dialogue between the community and the spirits, usually those of the dead or nature-related spirits. Masked dances are a part of most traditional African ceremonies related to weddings, funerals, initiation rites, and so on.

Ceremonial Mask from Ghana, Africa

Though African tribal mask was originally crafted for ritual purposes only, but with time it evolved as a designer hand crafted art form also, especially when its quality of creativity started to influence the European and Western world. It gained popularity and acclamation and then the mass production of African tribal masks began.

Pushpita is a freelance writer on world handicrafts and lifestyle. Pushpita holds a Masters in English literature and is a rich media professional.