| The masks in the permanent collection of the Museum of Ancient and Modern Art on display in this exhibit have been collected from many tribes in Western and Central Africa including Nigeria, Mali, | the Ivory Coast, Zaire, Liberia and Guinea. They are tribal masks acquired over a number of years. Most of them are very old and have been abundantly used. |
The masks are from the following tribes:
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| Some of the masks are
face masks which are worn by the special individuals who perform sacred rituals for
the welfare of the tribe. Others are amuletic and are kept on the wall of the chamber
they are used in. Carving a mask is a very sophisticated art and trade. In many |
parts of Africa, the apprentice has to work for two or three years in the studio of a master carver and pay him for his apprenticeship. Very often the knowledge of carving is transmitted from father to son through several generations, but sometimes a young man is selected because he has shown a special gift for carving. |
| The forms of masks typically have not changed
during the centuries which makes dating sometimes almost impossible. The reason for this
strict adherence to style is the concept that the spirit will not recognize its abode if
it is different from the conventional forms. When tribesmen and women use masks, the intent is not to hide behind them, but rather to use the unconscious as a direct path to the spirit world. Acting out in character is a psychological tool used to expose and drive inward. |
| The ceremonial participants often start with what they know about the spirits, acting out known characteristics and familiar stories, and then make the leap into improvisation to explore the un- known. | The whole purpose of using masks in this context is to orchestrate specific emotions among both the performers and the audience. In this sense, the dancers and shaman are like psychic mediums. |
| The emotions which
characterize the masks in MAMA's collection are very diversified. They run the whole gamut
of possible expressions. Some of them are awesome and stark suggesting powerful and
fearsome individuals. Other masks are cheerful, sometimes even comic. No possible expression of the inner soul has been missed. |
Delicate masks of the Guro are typical of what first attracted and inspired European artists in the early part of the century. The Dan masks are classically serene and beautiful with characteristic tresses also seen in Ibo masks. Senufo masks although typical in style are unusual in that they are sometimes cast in bronze. |
We hope you will take the time to visit our collection and enjoy the wonders of the African mask.
| QuicktimeVR Masks Exhibit downloadable file 772 K. This is a QuicktimeVR movie of the Masks exhibit from 1995 at MAMA done for Apple Computer. It works on both PCs and Macs. You need to have the Quicktime plugin installed on your computer. Apple Quicktime site. For advanced computer users! |