He learned his craft after years of apprenticeship to a woodcarver or in many cases a blacksmith , or may have been the member of a woodcarving family. Some cultures have a caste system specifically for mask makers. Most African masks are face coverings, but they also include a wide variety of helmet masks and headdresses.
The stylistic features of African masks reveal an astonishing variety. They may be naturalistic and clearly outline Negroid features; they may be expressionistically shaped into idealized features; or they may be wildly abstracted into frightening expressions of animal or human expressions.
Segy also writes of the tendency toward expressionistic style: "The African mask is an enlarged face, dramatized to the utmost in stylized, abstract images to achieve spiritual intensity" Speaks Style Regions Africa is often considered to be the continent with the longest tradition of mask making and the most vibrant in its diversity of styles.
There are more than a thousand different tribes throughout the continent, but only a few hundred tribes use masks.
They have a great tradition of statues as well as masks, and their works have been long sought after by Western artists and collectors. The Dogon live in Mali on the Bandiagara escarpment east of the Niger River, in villages of thatched roofs and mud brick buildings that seem about to slide off the walls of stone.
Just as dangerously, they survive on a small amount of millet supplied from their low-grade soil and small rainfall Teuten It seems almost natural that sympathetic magic would be an essential part of their survival system.
However, among the Dogon, who have had strong ties with France, its former colonial authority, the Islamic influence has changed but not ended the practice.
This has caused Dogon masks to retain a bold simplicity in its use of geometrical patterns. Dogon Kanaga masks reflect these influences while also showing the reaching toward divinity, for they consist of a superstructure with two horizontal bars that represent the sky and the earth. During the Dama funeral ceremonies held every 12 years, the Kanaga dancers "rotate their upper bodies from the hips and swing the masks in wide circles.
Other masks are used by the Awa society for funerals and rituals to commemorate the soul of an important member of the tribe several years after his death. One very distinctive ritual is the Sigi ceremony and its fifteen feet high Imina Na snake masks, held every sixty years to honor the original ancestor, Lebe Teuten The myth tells how the tribe prayed to Amma, the high god, to have the dead Lebe freed from his aging body, and after they had buried him a few years, the Dogon exhumed his corpse to find that he had become a snake, which always followed the tribe Cotterell The Bambara tribe, which consists of more than one million members, lives near the Dogon, and also has a great tradition of semi-abstract masks with large superstructures.
The Komo and the Kule societies produce all their masks and travel among the Bambara, making masks that form the distinct style of each tribe Bleakley 9. Their Chi Wara masks are headdresses of antelopes used for ritual dances by male and female couples to promote fertility and agriculture.
Their myths tell of this water spirit, who "magically transformed weeds into millet and corn and taught people to do the same. He also taught them the value of hard work. Thanks to Chi Wara, the people became excellent and prosperous farmers" Minneapolis. From Sierra Leone to the Ivory Coast, the Poro Society oversees "magical medicine" as well as all matters relating to politics, education, or economy, but the Sande society for three tribes there Mende, Temne and Sherbro is the only African secret society owned and danced by women, and they still practice today Mack In addition to conducting initiations, the Sande provides girls with a separate education in domestic skills, sex, singing and dancing, while the boys learn farming, weaving, trapping, drumming, and singing.
The initiates follow a silent masked dancer in all their movements for three years, until the girls finish and prepare for marriage. The mask used, called Sowei, is carved by men from a full tree trunk with bulging round forms to represent the ideal fullness of a rich woman Teuten The rituals of the Poro and Sande societies reveal a strong value of self-determination among these West African tribes, which is clearly reflected in the Mende myth of Ngewo, their sky god.
In the beginning, Ngewo told his peoples to come to him for anything they needed, but after being besieged by constant requests, Ngewo moved away to a place where he could still influence the tribes, but remain remote enough for mankind to become more self reliant Cotterell There are a number of tribes in the Ivory Coast who are prolific at mask making for aesthetic as well as ritualistic purposes, most notably the Baule, Guro, Senufo, Dan and Yaure. Their styles are very similar and often the only distinction among tribes are the tribal scar marks and hair styles, with the exception of the Senufo masks which are characterized by horns that look like legs projecting from the bottom of the face Teuten Dan is a general term for all the tribes living in the area of east Liberia, the west Ivory Coast and southern Guinea.
Mask: Antelope Walu 19th—20th century. Public Domain. Open Access. Lester Wunderman, New York, until Ezra, Kate. The Met Collection API is where all makers, creators, researchers, and dreamers can now connect to the most up-to-date data and images for more than , artworks in The Met collection.
Learn more. Figure: Seated Couple 18th—early 19th century. Mother and Child 15th—20th century. Seated Male Figure with Lance 16th—19th century. These masks are made to represent an abstract subject, which explains stylization.
Animals are frequent theme of African art of mask making. They represent the spirit of an animal and one that bears the mask, becomes that animal himself which allows for communication with that animal, for instance to ask animal to keep away from the village. In other cases animal is a symbol of virtue. The most common animals that are represented with masks are buffalo, hyena, hawk, crocodile and antelope.
Antelope is one of the most widely used animal masks. It symbolizes agriculture and is worn to enable better crops. Unless picked up. Insurance and professional packing would be required for shipping. The shipping cost in the listing is an educated guess. International shipping costs will be quoted if the occasion arises! Please e-mail any questions. Size: Pigment, Approximate Age, mid 20th Century, Dimensions, Old insect damage arrested, wear, chips and shallow cracks troughout, Additional Information: A well carved antelope headcrest Chi-wara This is a good example of Chi-wara masks showing signs of use and good age.
The Bamana also called Bambara are among the largest ethnic groups in the Western Sudan style region. The masquerade ceremonies occur during planting and harvesting seasons in the fields and the vill. Title, Igbo Helmet Horned Mask. One horn missing on helmet and one large horn chipped, crack in antelope, chips in other places, Additional Information: A helmet mask with a complex superstructure including carved horns and an antelope with two heads. The face painted in white features human details and marking typical of the Igbo style.
The Igbo people have produced variety of masks used in several festivals. Each area has its own typology of masks. The present mask seems to come from the southwestern Igbo and is referred to as Okoroshi water spirit The beautiful They resemble the maiden masks Agbogbo Mmuo Which embody the feminine ideals, the beauty and grace, and serve positive and protective roles.
The representation of horns on the tip of this mask is quite unusual as decoration on this type of mask and recall certain Idoma masks of Okua type used at funerals. Among the Igbo. Okoroshi water spirits masks would dance each year during the peak of the rainy season.
Several southeastern Igbo groups stop regular activities for a full month to celebrate the time when water spirits descend from their homes in the clouds to dwell and cavort with human beings.
These spirits materialize as masqueraders, who dance and strut and flog people in the villages. The white faced masks are female, and are kind.
Their darker and uglier male counterparts are mischief makers. The ceremonies are believed to have been brought by a woman, but women are not allowed to participate. For much more information, and excellent pictures, see Igbo Arts by Cole and Aniakor. Including pictures, Copyright Africa Direct In. Hardwood and pigments has"bite bar" intact. With tooth marks, but probably a later replacement one"ear" missing.
Break originally held in place by native repair, which is still intact has collection good provenance supplied to winner The triangle of the Bambara region.
Divided in two parts by the Niger River, constitutes the greater part of the western and southern Mali of today. The tji wara society members use a headdress representing. In the form of an antelope, the mythical being who taught men how to farm. There are antelopes with vertical or horizontal direction of the horns. In the past the purpose of the tji wara association was to encourage cooperation among all members of In recent time.
However, the Bambara concept of tji wara has become associated with the notion of good farmer. And the tji wara masqueraders are regarded as a farming beast. The Bambara sponsor farming contests where the tji wara masqueraders perform. Always performing together in a male and female pair. The coupling of the antelope masqueraders speaks of fertility and agricultural abundance.
According to one interpretation. The male antelope represents the sun and the female the earth. The antelope imagery of the carved headdress was inspired by a Bambara myth that recounts the story of a mythical beast half antelope and half human who introduced agriculture to the Bambara people. The dance performed by the masqueraders mimes the movements of the antelope. Antelope headdress in the vertical style.
Found in eastern Bambara territory, have a pair of upright horns. The male antelopes are decorated with a mane consisting of rows of openwork zigzag patterns and gracefully curved horns. While the female antelope supports baby antelopes on their back and have straight horns.
The dancers appeared holding two sticks in their hands. Free Priority Mail Shipping! Features: West African. Possibly Marka, hand carved Antelope mask The antelope was believed to have taught man how to farm Used in the initiation rites of boys or young men Carved wood is overlaid with metal that is either copper or copper washed Measures No need to wait for an invoice or calculate how much it's going to cost- it's just one all inclusive price.
Let us deliver this to your door. Hassle free. Isn't life complicated enough? Our Guarantee: Return your purchase. In the same condition, for any reason within Other: Looking for something else? We are constantly searching for and acquiring beautiful things for casually elegant entertaining which you can find in.
We bring you the best quality that we can find. If you want to be in the know about our latest finds. Let us do the shopping and deliver to your door with fast. Free shipping! Shipping: For payments received by 3 pm Pacific Time. We ship the same day. In the U. Welcome International Buyers. Please Note: Import duties. Taxes and charges are not included in the item price or shipping charges.
These charges are the buyer's responsibility. We do not mark merchandise values below value or mark items as gifts- US and International government regulations prohibit such behavior. Please email with telephone number. Pigment, beads, coin, Approximate Age, second half 20th century, Dimensions, 16 inches H.
Chipped horns, scratches and dents in places, Additional Information: This mask with a stylized The mask has a large open mouth showing four carved teeth. Such masks belong to the category of Zamble masks, Zamble masks are carved in the general shape of an antelope head.
But features of other important totem animals are also incorporated, like the crocodile and hyena. Masks from the northern part of Guro territory are used in a variety of ceremonies, usually related to one of the many secret societies.
Guro masks remain extremely popular with collectors. The Guro have lived in the western Cote D'Ivoire for generations, having arrived from the north perhaps years ago. They are from Mande stock, unlike their Akan neighbors. The Guro were originally known as the"Kweni, but during the brutal colonization by the French between and they were assigned the Baule name"Guro. They exist primarily by farming cocoa, coffee and cotton, although more recently many Guro men and women have fled their traditional villages to join in the hunt for diamonds, which have recently been discovered up and down the west coast of Africa, including Cote d'Ivoire.
These diamond fields oper. Wear, chips and scratches, Additional Information: A Bamana Animal mask with human face surmounted with two carved horns. The small face has a straight fine nose. Squared pierced The surface skows much handling and good age.
This mask belongs to the Kono association. The artistic diversity of the Bamana is without doubt one of the most astounding. And confounding, of all West African groups. It is interesting that perhaps their closest rivals in complexity are their neighbors to the north and east, the Dogon, with whom they share certain stylistic similarities.
Complex religious, funerary, initiation, and agricultural rites have resulted in an enormous pantheon of ritual objects. When collectors think of Bamana, the image of a"chi wara" often leaps to mind. These stunning, zoomorphic headdresses, danced during the planting of crops, employ the carved head and horns of antelopes, as well as zig-zag, open-work designs, reportedly representing the path of the sun.
A basketry, cap-like structure would be attached to the bottom so that it can be worn. Other recognizable masks are not as well understood, and their use reflects the mind-boggling complexity of the predominantly animist Bamana religion. Among these are the animal-form masks such as this, often quite abstract, used in the"kono" and"kore" societ. I refer you to http:www. The mask from the bottom of the base to the tip of the horns is 45" long.
From the tip of the snout to the tip of the horns it is 35" long. Freight includes Fedex Ground. Mask - Walu Antelope, Dogon people, Mali. Mali The Dogon are believed to be of Egyptian decent and their astronomical lore goes back thousands of years to B. Dogon traditions of the Nommos and Sirius B are legendary. Antelope masks are among the most popular Dogon masks. And are admired by the Dogon for their beauty and the strength of their performance.
The face of the mask is usually a rectangular box, retains the architectonic quality that characterizes Dogon masks. The costume worn with the antelope mask consists of fiber hood, skirts,armbands, and fiber bandoliers crossed over the chest. The dancer holds two short sticks with which he scratches the ground, imitating the behavior of antelope during their mating displays.
The dama. Or final commemorative ceremony for a Dogon elder is important. Creating a brilliantly colored, ever-changing spectacle of sculpture, costume, song, and dance.
Mask has some age. A few stable cracks. West Africa, where it was worn in ceremonies related to crop fertility. It is hand carved in wood in mid 20th century or earlier. And is 34 inches in height including the base. It is elegant in design and shows the patina of wear and age. Without damage. This mask portrays a combination of mixing human and antelope features.
Which is thought to help the wearer acquire the speed and agility of the antelope. The wood mask's intricate design on its brass sheeting, affixed with small tacks or brads, is reminiscent of the ritual scarification of the Marka hunter.
The mask has the customary Marka features of extremely long nose, very small mouth with raised lips, and eyes slanting downward as a show of respect. Colorful red cotton tassels adorn the mask.
The masks from the Marka are used in ceremonies to ensure a successful hunt or bountiful harvest. I have enjoyed this mask in my collection for over 20 years and hope you will treasure it as well. For sale is an old. Likely late 19th c. African Mali Bambara antelope zoomorphic mask. This is a really old mask and it looks like a really old mask so please view the photos for further information.
I purchased this magnificent piece in from a National Geographic photographer who was moving from Los Angeles to Ireland. It is the most gracefully carved mask I have ever seen. Note that the ears are not connected to the horns making it a valuable piece Stand 2" thick. Mask 47" tall. Horn to nose 32" Width of piece from the front 9" There is a place on one horn that is a rough and looks like an old repair.
Can't really tell. Overall Condition, Fair to Good. Shallow cracks, dents, and chips in places, Additional Information: A The art of existence: cats. Among the Bamana of Mali yearly agricultural rites in celebration of Chi-Wara are held to celebrate the idea of fertility necessary for successful farming and for the people of the village.
This ceremony is the time for the appearance of Chi-Wara. Representing the large roan antelope seen in the fields of the Western Sudan. When the sculpted head-crests are danced they appear in male and female pairs that generally represent the spirit of fertility of the fields and the people. Chi-Wara head-crests always appear in male-female pairs emphasizing the idea of fertility and the fact that the female will bear the young male to start the cycle again. There are a great variety of local sub-styles of Chi-Wara ranging from the abstract to the naturalistic.
They may be large vertical headpieces with openwork bodies and large massive antlers or small abstracted forms. The masquerade ceremonies occur during planting and harvesting seaso. From the Kwele people of Gabon. Exact age unknown. See my other auctions! Condition: Wear. See photos for details. Sold as is. Measurements: 19 x 7. Thank you for visiting!
New items every day! Local pickup is free and welcome. We are Our primary shipping company is UPS. If possible. Please check the eBay automated shipping calculator with your zip code for estimated pricing.
Actual shipping costs are subject to change. If items are not picked up within this time frame unless agreed upon by the seller Items will be resold due to storage limitations.
Packaging: We do not profit from shipping. If shipping costs seem high. This is why we very rarely see dam. For sale is an African Mali Dogon antelope zoomorphic mask. This is an unusual mask partly due to the size and the'hook shape' below the chin.
Please view the photos for more information. See also Bwa, Nunuma, Winiama, Materials, wood. The ears are pointed and the eyes are prominent and have round concentric shape.
Diamond designs eas well as the use of bright colors enhance this mask. Completed by its raffia geaddress painted on the surface of the mask.
This mask comes from the Nuna. Such masks are also found among the Bwa. Winiama, and Nunuma peoples of Burkina Faso Upper Volta The religion of this people is based upon magical objects and figures that are kept in village and family shrines.
These masks appear on a number of occasions including the initiation of young boys when they are informed about the different masks, their meanings, and how the various masks symbolize early myths and local history. Most of our pieces have spent decades on at least two continents. Small splits, scrapes and cracks are a normal part of their patina attesting to their age and extensive use.
We examine each piece carefully when we receive it and report any damage we find in our listings. Please look carefully at the pictures which may also reveal condition and damage. A zoomorphic mouth.
The mask has its original vegetal fibers costume. This mask reflects the mixed traditions that exist along the Lower Niger and Cross Rivers and the great Niger River delta as it flows into the Atlantic.
A number of groups in this region share mask styles and uses often drawing upon one another for imagery and perhaps even carvers who have some degree of mobility. These people. The Ogoni, Ibibio and Anang are culturally and linguistically related with similar men's regulatory and initiation organizations known as Ekpe that has responsibility to ensure the ongoing welfare of the group.
Masks also serve to represent age grades as men advance through various levels of the Ekpe secret society. Among the Ogoni. This particular mask is identified as an antelope mask and is called Karipko. It would perform at the beginning of the farming season to honor the ancestors.
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