So what's up with the African masks?

                                                            Courtesy of africa

Maskophobia – the fear of masks (and if you don’t believe me, Google it!). 

As we all know, a phobia isn’t logical or necessarily curable. I have a friend who is terrified of masks.......and in particular, African masks. Now I’m the first to admit, some of them are pretty damn scary (am I allowed to say plain ugly too?!) but other than that, they don’t arouse any deep sense of revulsion in me. So, yet again, I got to wondering.....what’s with the African masks?

And here’s what I found out....

Firstly, not all masks are created equal. Some of them have very specific uses and purposes. There are masks to be used in funeral processions, masks to be used during initiation ceremonies, masks to be used at harvest time.......the list is seemingly endless!

Secondly, the materials used in African masks goes way beyond the wooden ones we commonly see. There are masks made of copper, glazed pottery, ivory (which we do not condone) terra cotta  and even bronze to mention a few. They can even be decorated with all sorts of beading, raffia and other textiles.

Thirdly, and I think most interestingly to me, is that African masks were not designed to be decorative. They were considered, rather, to be a portal between the living and the spirit world inhabited both by deities and ancestors gone before.

When the wearer donned the mask, he (and yes, a mask wearer would typically be male) supposedly took on the characteristics of whichever spirit had been depicted. Mainly because it was believed that the spirit had actually come to inhabit him within that time.

Today African masks are used mainly in decor both in the home and in commercial spaces aiming to capture an African feel.  This creates a living for the thousands of artisans who carve these masks.  It also ensures that the culture and history of Africa lives on where it might otherwise have become irrelevant.

I’ll try and see if I can hook you up with some sites where you can get your hands on some gorgeous African masks to work in your home or office or wherever! Try checking back at African Fashions as well, they’re good with getting new finds and if you follow them on Twitter then you’ll be the first to know!

Bye for now!