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Lega Bwami Art: Objects You Have to Earn the Right to Own
New: the 2nd edition of Within Carved Lines: The Secret Meanings of African Masks is out now. Get the book → Most art traditions documented in this book are made for a community, a chief, or a spirit, and once made, they tend to stay put. Lega art belongs to no one until that person…
Vuvi Masks: A Mask for Every Spirit, a Name for Every Mask
New: the 2nd edition of Within Carved Lines: The Secret Meanings of African Masks is out now. Get the book → Many masking traditions documented in this book treat individual masks as interchangeable instances of a single type. The Vuvi of central Gabon organized theirs differently: each bwiti association mask apparently carried its own specific…
Pende Mask of the Congo: Types, Meanings, and Ceremonial Use
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.
Dogon Kanaga Mask: Cosmology, Dance, and the Afterlife in Mali
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.
Sowei Mask of the Mende: The Only African Mask Tradition Owned by Women
New: the 2nd edition of Within Carved Lines: The Secret Meanings of African Masks is out now. Get the book → Almost every well-known African masking tradition is controlled by men. The Sowei mask, worn by the Mende, Temne, Vai, and Gola peoples of Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea, is the exception that reorders the…
Nyamwezi Art: Divination Figures That Became a Dance Troupe’s Stage Props
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 show a ritual object losing its original function over time yet staying in circulation, repurposed for a new audience. The Nyamwezi, the largest ethnic agrarian group in north-central…