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Secrets of African Masks: Women in Masking Traditions, and How to Tell If Your Mask Is Activated
There are secrets about African masks you have never heard anywhere, and I am going to expose a few of them here. I want to talk about women in masking traditions. Are there cultures where women are allowed to put on masks? Which cultures are those? If you are really into this kind of thing,…
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.
What Is an African Mask? Meaning, History, and Cultural Purpose
An African mask is often misunderstood. In museums, galleries, and private collections, African masks are usually presented as art objects—beautiful, mysterious, and visually striking. While they are artistic, reducing an African mask to decoration alone strips it of its original meaning. In many African societies, masks were never created to be admired in silence. They…
African Mask Meaning, Symbolism, And History
New: the 2nd edition of Within Carved Lines: The Secret Meanings of African Masks is out now. Get the book → Search “African mask” right now and you will get the same photograph forty times over. A dark wooden face. A caption calling it tribal art. Nothing about who carved it, why, or what actually…
