African Masks

Throughout history, many different cultures illustrate their history and their beliefs through various artistic objects that they create. These artifacts allow historians to better gage their lifestyle, their beliefs, and how their society operated. One example of this is the “Drum Beater” sculpting created by Karoo Ashevak that is especially famous for its illustrations of the shamans and the spirits. In this research paper, Karoo Ashevak’s “drum beater” will be dissected and analysed; from the Inuit culture itself, to the physical features of the sculpting, as well as the significance and symbolism of the sculpting as it relates to the Inuit culture.

The Kwakiutl Indian tribe existed before the discovery of North America by the European culture and inhabited the coast of the Pacific Northwest of the United States and British Columbia in Canada. The tribe is rich in tradition and culture and has remained steadfast in their beliefs, history, teachings and artisan skills which have been passed down generation to generation. The artisans in the Kwakiutl tribe mastered the art of creating special ceremonial masks that are not only beautiful and aesthetically interesting to the eye, but also mechanically intriguing in which the masks serve a specific purpose to a theme during different ceremonies that are conducted by tribal specialists during certain times throughout the year.

The grandiose task of wearing another's cultural skin understandably comes with a host of opinions on how such a job can be accomplished. Anthropologists have long argued about the accuracy of ethnographies (Levinson & Ember, 1996, pp. 419-21). Much of the discussion stems from the assumption that some cultural aspects are ineffable and subconscious. Can an anthropologist approach his subject, as Spradley argues, "with a conscious attitude of almost complete ignorance"? Is it possible to consciously withhold one's own cultural interpretations while attempting to study that very thing in another culture?" (Spradley, 1979, p. 4 & Levinson & Ember, 1996, pp. 419-21).

During the study, the renowned anthropologist uses the local lingua franca “Neo-Melanesian” to collect his data from the Imbonggu villages. At first, the Wormsley finds himself as an object of competition as different communities wanted to stay with him. The men thought that Wormsley had come to collect the "head tax”, one of the renowned colonial payments that were subjected to men based on the number of women. In these communities, the author observes the culture of both men and women to collect his data. He notes how men are engaged in war, religion and politics (Wormsley, 1993). Women, on the other

“Remotely Global: Village Modernity in West Africa” by Charles Piot is a book based on the lives of the people of the remote village called Kabre located in Northern Togo. The author discusses the “vernacular modernity” of the people of Kabre village that has been influenced by a long tradition of encounters with outsiders that included the colonialists. The author provides an in-depth analysis with ethnographic details about the Kabre people as the author discusses a wide range of their culture and history that included houses and the structure of homestead, gender ideology, ritual like initiations, exchange system, and social relations (Piot 178).

Settled in Kenya and Tanzania, the Maasai enjoy a simple life with an abundance of culture. With roots in pastoralism, the Maasai live an intriguing life with traditions unlike any in the world. Language, marriage, societal statuses, the economy, religion, and health are fundamental in appreciating all that the Maasai have to offer. The warriors of the savannas’ red clothing signify power, and with that comes a powerful amount of knowledge that is still being learned.

Chapter one, “Fieldwork among the Maisin”, describes how anthropologist John Barker, author of Ancestral Lines, goes to Uiaku New Guinea to study the Maisin people. His specific goals were to study how a people can maintain a cultural identify in a modernizing world and how they can live without destroying their environment. Barker first arrived in New Guinea in 1982 where he examined “how the Maisin make a living, organize social interactions, conceptualize the spiritual world, and meet the opportunities and tragedies of life” (Barker 2016:2). He studied the tapa cloth, a fabric made from bark, that the Maisin use as a connection to their ancestral past and to help define their culture. Barker discovered that the Maisin have faith in traditional methods and do what they can to preserve that lifestyle. Barker‘s work went

Aztec masks were used as ornaments, and were sometimes worn as part of a ritual, or in death as a death mask. They usually represented one god or another, and the Aztecs did have countless gods. Like the artistry and materials, the Aztecs worshipped gods collected from a variety of cultures. A common type of mask would have snakes on it, a representation of the god Quetzalcoatl or perhaps Tlaloc. The masks generally then were used for worship of the gods, whether by being displayed in a temple or worn by a priest.

The sisawk Mask is dated “before 1919” by the Museum of Anthropology, although it was acquired through donation on March 26th, 1979. The donator is not provided on the Museum’s online catalogue, and no further information of the personal history of this mask is provided. However, the general information on the Nuxalk peoples and the purposes of their sisoak masks is provided for viewers, by the Museum of Anthropology. This type of mask was used for an initiation of the peoples, and the imagery of the eagle was only used by the Nuxalk peoples for initiations into the sisoak society. The event of the initiation would occur mostly during potlatches, where “a masked figure embodying” the initiate’s family totem (a symbol of the family’s history)

People wear a mask even when they are not forced to. It is just a self-fulfillment so they can live and fit in with the society. 1838, slavery still existed and it was common. Slavery owners felt no remorse of stepping over the slaves and using them for what they wanted. Some slaves were freed from their masters, but they were still in danger. Racism was harsh for these black Americans. They would suffer from harsh segregation, or unfair treatment, which led them to wear a mask.

More elaborate maks can have anywhere from one to three hair crests (Nigeria). Oftentimes in Igbo culture the masks are painted with chalk, the color of the spirit (Nigeria). Just as special men were chosen to act as the egwugwu, special women were chosen to create and paint the masks (Nigeria). When creating the egwugwu emotions were carved into them such as, sadness, joy, anger, etc. The Igbo people go to tremendous lengths to fulfill the spirit of the egwugwu, this shows only a little of what they are willing to do for their ancestors.

They elaborately decorated prestige regalia, including headdress, neck ornament and other forms of personal adornment, to distinguish the kuba rulers, chiefs and other titled officials.Out of all the regalias that I have seen the piece that interested me the most was the Headdress.A specific headdress

The sacred traditions, customs, and beliefs of ancient Mali is a story of epic proportions. To retrieve the great lineage of the First Kings of Mali and learn the history behind certain rituals told by an exquisite narrative that is perfectly woven together through different stories. The legend of Sundiata stresses the importance of understanding and respecting one’s history. In D. T. Niane’s “Sundiata An Epic of Old Mali,” the African history of Mali is presented through tribal customs, honor, and jealousy between brothers.

The mask enables the savages of the story to be better camouflaged and to hide their shame and self-consciousness. The problem with this is that when the time comes to take off said mask, they often can’t without removing an aspect of their skin as well. Nowadays, cyberbullying is the most common form of bullying. Bullies find pleasure to hide behind a computer screen because they don’t get to see the pain they are causing the victim. In a way, the computer screen acts the same way the paint acts for the savages in the novel; it masks their remorse. When compared to real verbal bullying, cyberbullying is more discreet, effective and cowardly. The problem with it is that the bullies often get too immersed in the act that they often forget who

Masks are one of the most spiritually important art forms developed in Africa. Among the masks many uses were; communicating with spirits and ancestors, serving as teaching aids in gender specific initiation ceremonies, tools for maintaining order, enhancements for reenacted stories and myths, symbols of rank and power, and a record for past leaders. I will be focussing on masks from the first three categories. The masks, which are all Helmet style masks from West and Central Africa, illustrate how artists from different tribes approached symbolism and visual storytelling. They also show what was considered ideally beautiful for each clan.