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Stories Shape the World, and Africans Must Tell Their Own Stories.
Stories shape the world, and you probably already know this. Behind every great movement led by people was a proportionately great story. The very famous proverb by one of Africa’s best storytellers, Chinua Achebe, explains this perfectly. He said that ‘until the lion learns how to write, the tale of the hunt will always glorify…
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…
Pende Mask of the Congo: Types, Meanings, and Ceremonial Use
The Pende people of the Democratic Republic of Congo produce some of Africa’s most diverse masks. This guide covers the main types and their ritual roles.
Why African Masks have horns?
New: the 2nd edition of Within Carved Lines: The Secret Meanings of African Masks is out now. Get the book → I have had to answer the question, why do African masks have horns? Is it a sign of evil or good. In this article, I will discuss the depths of African masks and what…
Traditional African Masks: Types, Meaning, and Where They Come From
Africa is not one mask tradition. It is hundreds of them, each tied to a specific people, a specific ceremony, and a specific set of beliefs about what a mask does when it is worn. Treating African masks as a single style flattens traditions that have almost nothing in common except the continent they come…
West African Mask Styles: A Visual Guide to Regional Differences
West Africa is home to hundreds of distinct mask traditions. This visual guide maps the key regional styles from Senegal to Nigeria and everything in between.
