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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.
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…
African Lip Plates: Which Tribes Wear Them and What They Mean
Lip plates are one of the most recognised — and misunderstood — forms of African body modification. Here is the full cultural story.
The Female Kings of Africa: 14 Warrior Queens Who Defied Gender Norms and Ruled Empires.
Did Africa have Female Kings? History brims with tales of extraordinary female kings of Africa, women who shattered gender barriers to reign as kings—not just queens—commanding armies, forging empires, and leaving legacies that challenge Western assumptions about patriarchy in pre-colonial societies. These visionary leaders, from the Hausa city-states of Nigeria to the kingdoms of Angola,…
