African Masks - Baule
BAULE MASK
This type of African mask is a Baule mask which is also known as a Goli mask. It is used in
tribal dances during harvest festivals, in processions to honour distinguished visitors and at the
funerals of important figures.
The circular face represents the life-giving force of the sun and the horns symbolize the great
power of the buffalo. The mask is made of wood with two holes cut into the eyes to enable the
wearer to see. The rectangular mouth is also typical of this type of mask.
The Baule are farmers who populate the eastern side of the Ivory Coast. They are part of the
Akan people, one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa, who dwell in both Ghana and the
Ivory Coast.
Biombo
BIOMBO MASK
Biombo masks are usually carved from wood and colored with red "tukula" powder, a dye made
from the camwood tree.
The eyes are a typical coffee bean shape. A triangular checkerboard design is used to decorate
the eyebrows and the planes of the face.
The three forms at the back of the head represent the Biombo hairstyle. Feathers are often
attached to the top of Biombo masks.
Biombo masks are usually worn during tribal rituals and ceremonies.
The Biombo live south of the inter-section of the Luala and Kasai rivers in the Democratic
Republic of the Congo.
African Masks Bwa
BWA MASK
Bwa masks are believed to possess special
powers which are controlled by those who
wear them.
These masks are plank shaped with a
circular face at one end and a crescent
moon at the other.
Their wearer looks through a hole in the
mouth. The eyes are based on an owl and
the hooked nose comes from the hornbill.
Both these birds are thought to possess
magical powers.
The plank section is decorated with
geometric patterns which are an essential
design element in many African masks and
carvings. Geometric pattern creates an
external rhythm which echoes the internal
spiritual energy of the artwork. It can also
be used as a coded language where the
design communicates secret knowledge to
those in the know.
The designs on this Bwa Mask, which is
used to celebrate boys' initiation into adulthood, represent information about the myths and
morality that the boys must learn before they can be accepted into adult society.
The Bwa are a farming community who come from Mali and Burkina Faso. Masks are only
made by those who live in the southern parts of their territory.
Dan
DAN MASK
Dan masks have a typically high forehead, pouting
mouth and pointed chin. They may also have
scarification marks like the line that splits the forehead
and nose in our example above. Dan masks are carved
in wood and stained with a brown dye.
Dan masks are sacred objects. Dan masks are used for
protection and as a channel for communication with
the spirit world. The Dan also carry small 'passport
masks' for personal protection when they are living
away from home.
The Dan believe that their world is split into two
domains: the human domain which is represented by
the village and its people, and the spiritual domain
which is represented by the forest and its spirits. When
a dancer wears a Dan mask he becomes the spirit of
that mask. A masked dancer will speak in the language
of the spirits and his words are interpreted by a wise
man.
Some dancers perform masked rituals on stilts. There are many different Dan masks, each of
which has a distinct use during rituals or festivals. Some masks play an important part in tribal
rites while others are simply for entertainment.
Dan masks are guarded by the go master, the head of the secret society of the leopard who are
responsible for the initiation rites of young men into adulthood.
The Dan are hunters and farmers whose territory stretches from the western side of the Ivory
Coast into Liberia.
Goma
GOMA MASK
Goma masks are characterized by their domed
heads, elongated forms, large concave eyes that
are highlighted by a change of color, protruding
mouths and abstract geometric designs carved on
the face and forehead.
The triangular checkerboard design in this mask
is typical of their surface decoration.
The Goma people come from around the northern
shores of Lake Kivu, just north of Lake
Tanganyika in the Democratic Republic of the
Congo.
The region is part of the Great Rift Valley which
experiences earthquakes and eruptions of the
Nyiragongo and Nyamuragira volcanoes.
Goma is a the capital city of the North Kivu
province, one kilometer from the Rwandan
Border
Kota
KOTA MASK
The Kota are noted for their sculptural
figures which are called ‘mbulu-ngulu’.
They are carved in wood and covered with
sheets of brass or copper to increase their
power.
Kota figures have very stylized heads and
simplified lozenge shaped bodies. Their
faces are oval with a convex surface to
represent males or a concave surface to
represent females.
Some figures have faces on both sides of the
head. We call this Kota statues guardian or
reliquary figures as they protect the relics of
an ancestor that are contained in a box,
basket or bundle called the ‘Bwete’. The
Kota revere the relics of their ancestors as
they believe that they can call on their power
to assist them with their troubles in this life.
The Kota are several different groups of
people who share a similar culture. The
word 'kota' means to bind or link together an appropriate name to unite a tribe.
The Kota are a peace loving people who live
in an area that stretches from East Gabon
into the Congo.
Kwele
KWELE MASK
The Kwele believe in witchcraft and blame all their
personal and social ills on its influence. The Kwele
protect themselves against the power of witchcraft
with the 'beete' ritual.
The 'beete' is a ritual that involves purification by the
spirits who are represented in the form of 'ekuk'
masks. 'Ekuk' means the 'spirits of the forest' and the
'children of the beete'. Kwele masks represent the
antelope whose flesh was eaten at the end of the
'beete' ritual.
Kwele masks have two large horns which sometimes
encircle and frame the face. Areas of the face are
often painted with white kaolin clay, the color of the
spirits. Kwele 'ekuk' masks are beautifully stylised
with a heart shaped face, almond shaped eyes and a
small or non-existent mouth.
The Kwele occupy a huge area of forested land that
stretches across the borders of Gabon, Cameroon and
the Congo.
Ligbi
LIGBI MASK
Ligbi masks are used in the celebration of Islamic holidays, especially the end of Ramadan. The
dancers who wear these masks are noted for their elegantly synchronized movements as they
dance in pairs.
The typical Ligbi mask has an elongated face trimmed with wings on either side. The eyes are
shaded and the mouth is rectangular. Both animal and human forms are combined in the mask
image.Make-up and jewellery are also added to decorate Ligbi masks during the celebration.
The Ligbi people, who are related to the Senufo, are a community originally from Ghana who
now inhabit the Ivory Coast. Ligbi is also the name of their language.
Lulua
LULUA MASK
The Lulua were famous for
decorating their bodies with
intricate scarification marks and
tattoos. They also applied these
designs to their sculptures and
masks.
The masks, which are rare, are
usually incised with geometric
pattern and colored with a reddish
pigment. The pointed forms on the
top of the head represent the Lulua
hairstyle.
The Lulua, previously called the
Bena Lulua, are related to the
Lwalwa and like them, the men
hunt and the women farm.
The name Lulua was given to the
various peoples who live around
the Lulua River in the Democratic
Republic of the Congo by the
German explorers Hermann Von
Wissmann and Paul Pogge in
1881.
Lwalwa
LWALWA MASK
The Lwalwa mask above is an
‘mvondo’ mask which is worn by
men.
Lwalwa masks are stylized using
simple geometric forms to represent
the features of the face. The eyes of
the mask are rectangular holes and the
nose is a long flat triangle that often
stretches to the top of the head. The
ears are reduced to small bumps and a
stylized mouth projects from above a
pointed chin.
Lwalwa masks are carved from a
wood called ‘mulela’ and colored
with a dye from the fruit of the
‘mukula’ tree, also called the
‘bloodwood’ or ‘sealing wax’ tree.
Lwalwa sculptors are privileged
members of the tribe and are highly
paid for their craft. Their skills are
often passed down from father to son.
The Lwalwa are famous for their
dancing and masks play an important
part in their celebrations, particularly the secret rituals of the ‘bangongo’ society who were
responsible for the initiation of young men into adulthood.
The Lwalwa people are related to the Lulua and like them, the men are hunters and the women
are farmers. They live in the southwest area of the Democratic Republic of the Congo stretching
into Angola.
Pende
The Pende mask above is a ‘Panya Ngombe’ mask which has a combination of a human and
buffalo features. This type of mask comes from the Kasai Pende who live in the east of their
territory.
These masks are decorated with incised triangular grids that are often painted with dark and light
pigments to create a checkerboard effect.
This ‘Panya Ngombe’ mask would be hung above the door or window of a chief’s dwelling.
The Pende carve several different types of masks that they use to communicate with the spirits
during rituals.
The Pende believe
that the spirits of
their ancestors can
positively or
negatively influence
the quality of their
lives.
The Pende are mostly
farmers who
supplement their diet
by hunting and
fishing. They live in
the southwest area of
the Democratic
Republic of the
Congo around the
Loango and Kasai
Rivers.
Punu
Punu masks represent the idealized beauty of Punu
women, and should only be carved by Punu men.
They are portrayed with their traditional highdomed hairstyle, diamond- shaped scarification
marks on their forehead and they often have eyes
that display oriental characteristics. The elaborate
Punu hairstyles suggest that the wearer is wealthy
as her hair has not been flattened by the need to
carry goods.
Sometimes Punu masks are painted white with
kaolin clay to represent the spirits of dead
ancestors during funerals.
Since the 18th century, the Punu have lived on the
left bank of the Upper Ngoume River in Gabon.
They are one of a group of tribes known as the
Shira who originally came from the Luango
kingdom of Angola.
Senufo
SENUFO MASK
Senufo masks are created by specialist artists
who live apart from the rest of their village.
Senufo masks combine features of animals
and humans in a single design.
The Senufo artists have a high status in their
society as their masks and sculptures are
believed to have the power to help
communication between the living and their
dead ancestors.
Senufo masks are used in the rites of the Poro
society, a male organization that educates
young men in the traditions and
responsibilities necessary for their coming of
age.
The Senufo worship their ancestors,
particularly Kolotyolo - the ‘Ancient Mother’
who is holds so much power that she has to
be carefully approached through intervention
by lesser gods.
The Senufo are a farming people of over 1,000,000 that stretch across various bordering
countries in West Africa including the Ivory Coast, Ghana, Burkina Faso and South Mali.
Teke
TEKE MASK
Teke moon shaped masks are worn by
members of the Kiduma - a secret society
that takes charge of social celebrations and
rituals.
The mask is held in place with a bite bar at
the back which the wearer holds in his
teeth.
These masks are usually decorated with
geometric symbols and divided by a
horizontal stripe. They are colored with
clay and paint.
The Teke people come from the Congo
Republics and Gabon. They are well
known as traders and the name 'teke'
means 'to buy'.
Woyo
WOYO MASK
Woyo masks are usually painted
with contrasting colors against a
white background and are often
worn with a full length costume
made from banana leaves.
The colors used in a Woyo mask
have symbolic meaning and are
sometimes repainted to renew its
power.
Woyo masks are carved for the
ritual dances of the 'ndunga', a male
society responsible for maintaining
social order.
The Woyo believe in witchcraft.
Ordeals by fire and poison are used
to determine the guilt of those who
have been practicing sorcery.
The Woyo are mostly fishermen
who live on the Atlantic coast in the
Angolan province of Cabinda and
spread inland to the southwest region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Yohure
YOHURE MASK
The Yohure are noted for their beautifully
crafted masks that combine human and animal
features.
They have elaborate hairstyles which often
include horns, elongated faces with a high
forehead, arched eyebrows and a low
protruding mouth. The face of a Yohure mask
is outlined with triangular zigzag designs.
Yohure masks are used in dance rituals to help
villagers come to terms with the death of one
of their people. The masks represent the Yu
spirits who restore the social balance after a
bereavement.
These masks are considered very powerful
and dangerous objects. They must be kept out
of sight of women for fear of the effects that
the supernatural powers of the Yu spirits may
have on them.
The Yohure live in the central region of the Ivory Coast to the east of the city of Bouafle.