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African Masks For Sale, A Buyer’s Guide
New: the 2nd edition of Within Carved Lines: The Secret Meanings of African Masks is out now. Get the book → Say you want to buy an African mask. Good. Before you spend a cent, know one thing. That search term covers everything from a twenty dollar decorative carving at a home goods store to…
We Masks: A People Whose Name Means Forgiveness Carved Faces Built to Terrify
New: the 2nd edition of Within Carved Lines: The Secret Meanings of African Masks is out now. Get the book → Several masking traditions documented in this book carry names that describe what a group does or where it lives. The We of Côte d’Ivoire and Liberia carry a name that describes something closer to…
Animal African Masks: Lion, Elephant, Bird And More Explained
New: the 2nd edition of Within Carved Lines: The Secret Meanings of African Masks is out now. Get the book → Animal figures show up constantly on African masks, and none of it is decoration for decoration’s sake. Each animal usually carries a specific job. Authority. Fertility. Sight into the spirit world. Here is what…
Binji Masks: The Border Style Behind the Kuba Bwoom?
New: the 2nd edition of Within Carved Lines: The Secret Meanings of African Masks is out now. Get the book → Attribution in Central African art history is rarely as tidy as a museum label makes it look, and the Binji are one of the clearest examples of that on this site. Their carvers produced…
Bwa Plank Mask of Burkina Faso: Insects, Spirits, and Geometric Art
The towering plank masks of the Bwa people are among the most visually arresting in African art. This guide explains their origin, symbolism, and ceremony.