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Where African Masks Are Traditionally Kept and Why
An African mask was never meant to exist everywhere. In traditional African societies, masks were carefully placed, moved, and stored according to clear cultural rules. These rules were not arbitrary. They reflected deep understandings of space, function, timing, and social order. This article explains where African masks were traditionally kept, why those locations mattered, and…
Why African Masks Are Not Home Décor
In many parts of the world, an African mask is commonly used as decoration. It may hang on a living room wall, sit on a shelf, or be placed as a centrepiece in a modern interior. While visually striking, this use of African masks represents a complete shift from their original cultural purpose. Traditionally, African…
Sukuma Masks: A Chief Who Is Also a Sorcerer, Checked by Secret Societies
New: the 2nd edition of Within Carved Lines: The Secret Meanings of African Masks is out now. Get the book → Several traditions documented in this book separate political authority from spiritual or occult power, assigning them to different offices entirely. The Sukuma of northern Tanzania collapse the two into a single person: each village…
Landuman Masks: One Mask, Three Guesses at What Animal It Is
New: the 2nd edition of Within Carved Lines: The Secret Meanings of African Masks is out now. Get the book → Most masking traditions documented in this book maintain a whole wardrobe of mask types, each built for a distinct spirit, rite, or society. The Landuman of Guinea are known to use exactly one: the…
Kingdom of Benin: Bronze Masks, Court Art, and a Civilisation Ahead of Its Time
The Benin Kingdom produced some of the world’s most technically advanced bronze art centuries before European contact. Discover their mask-making legacy.