Kingdom of Mali: Sundiata Keita, the Golden Trade Routes, and a Lost Empire
At its height the Mali Empire stretched across much of West Africa and controlled the world’s gold trade. Here is the complete history.
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Mende Sowei Mask: The Female Helmet Mask of Sierra Leone
Uniquely, the Sowei mask is carved by men but worn by women — senior members of the Sande society. Learn why this makes it exceptional in African art.
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Kanaga Mask of the Dogon: The Cross-Shaped Mask of Mali’s Funeral Rites
New: the 2nd edition of Within Carved Lines: The Secret Meanings of African Masks is out now. Get the book → Of all the mask forms carved and danced across Africa, the Kanaga mask of the Dogon people is one of the most visually distinct: a carved wooden face is topped by a tall, double-barred…
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Kifwebe Mask of the Songye and Luba: Striped Faces of Power and Judgment
New: the 2nd edition of Within Carved Lines: The Secret Meanings of African Masks is out now. Get the book → Few African masks are as immediately recognizable as Kifwebe. The carved concentric lines running across the face, the tall ridged crest rising from the forehead, and the stark geometric planes have made Kifwebe one…
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Goli Mask of the Baule: The Masquerade Cycle of the Ivory Coast
New: the 2nd edition of Within Carved Lines: The Secret Meanings of African Masks is out now. Get the book → Most African masking traditions center on a single dominant mask type. Goli, performed by the Baule people of central Ivory Coast, is built differently: it is a sequence of paired masks, performed in order…
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Sowei Mask of the Mende: The Only African Mask Tradition Owned by Women
New: the 2nd edition of Within Carved Lines: The Secret Meanings of African Masks is out now. Get the book → Almost every well-known African masking tradition is controlled by men. The Sowei mask, worn by the Mende, Temne, Vai, and Gola peoples of Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea, is the exception that reorders the…
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African Scarification by Region: West, East, Central, and Southern Africa Compared
Scarification traditions vary enormously across Africa. This regional breakdown shows how different communities approach body marking and what it signifies.
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Senufo Kpelie Mask: The Face Mask of Ancestors and Initiation
Used in Poro society initiations across Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, and Mali, the Senufo Kpelie is an ancestor-honouring masterpiece.
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Kingdom of Benin: Bronze Masks, Court Art, and a Civilisation Ahead of Its Time
The Benin Kingdom produced some of the world’s most technically advanced bronze art centuries before European contact. Discover their mask-making legacy.
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African Tooth Filing and Dental Modification: Cultures, History, and Meaning
Tooth filing has been practised across Africa and Southeast Asia as a rite of passage and beauty tradition. This guide explores the cultures behind it.
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