New: the 2nd edition of Within Carved Lines: The Secret Meanings of African Masks is out now. Get the book → A number of the peoples documented in this book built their masking traditions around a king, a court, or at minimum a centralized chief whose authority the masks helped enforce. The Ngbandi, roughly 120,000…
To understand where African masks come from, you have to let go of the idea that there is a single origin story. Mask making developed independently across thousands of distinct communities over thousands of years, shaped by local belief systems, available materials, and specific social needs. What follows is not a complete history of any…
New: the 2nd edition of Within Carved Lines: The Secret Meanings of African Masks is out now. Get the book → Some of the most famous objects to come out of Central Africa are not, strictly speaking, masks at all. The Kota of Gabon are best known worldwide for a flat, shining, copper-covered guardian figure…
The Dogon people of Mali use the Kanaga mask to help the dead transition to the afterlife. Explore the cosmic meaning behind this cross-shaped masterpiece.
New: the 2nd edition of Within Carved Lines: The Secret Meanings of African Masks is out now. Get the book → Some peoples name themselves. The Guro, roughly 200,000 strong on the Côte d’Ivoire, did not choose their own name at all. They originally called themselves Kweni, until French colonial forces, having violently subdued them…
A man saw a girl he liked, got acquainted and one day, he asked her to marry him. She agreed and received an engagement ring from him at once. Later that night, his phone rang. It was the girl’s father. He wanted to know if his daughter truly got engaged without his permission. He summoned…