Masks play an important role in the history of humankind; their use can be traced back to the hunter epoch of the Stone Age culture. 

The art of the West African tribal societies is closely connected to rituals, traditions and festivities. The masks represent gods or guardian and ancestor spirits. They protect against evil forces and illness or are connected otherwise to fertility, a good harvest and prosperity; they are used during celebrations or ceremonial festivities like initiation or ancestor worship. 

In mask dances and rituals, the border between this world and the world of spirits and ancestors blurs. The wearer of the mask prepares himself alone away from the celebrating crowd to impersonate the voice of the spirit. For the duration of the ritual he steps into this role; he talks with a strange voice, his movements and gestures differ from his normal behavior.

The wearer of the mask often incorporates a moral authority; education and instruction, social control and even imposing of punishments and re-establishing of order are important elements. In some rituals as in initiation practices, the wearer of the mask acts as a master of ceremony. 

During the ritual, the mask hides the identity of its wearer. Even the hair and back of the head are mostly covered. In most cases, the wearers of the masks are men. 

The multitude of different masks from the African continent is unmanageable. Many masks represent a hybrid between human being and animal; their symbolism is hard to understand, the magic core is hardly apparent to the uninitiated. 

Moreover, the masks strongly vary in their symbolic language and according to the tribe and event they are used in. The basic material of most masks is wood; however, clay, brass, copper or bronze and even bark can also be used as a basis. Cloth, leather, shells or paint decorate many masks. 

The fabrication of masks was a respected occupation. Besides skilled artisanship, a vast knowledge of the ritual and spiritual symbolism was needed. This knowledge was passed on from one generation to another within the same family. 

The special exhibition presented masks from important centers of art in West Africa. 

 

Pfeil runterAnimal mask

Wooden antelope mask with bird.

 

Pfeil runterBark mask

Makishi mask made of coloured inner bark (Chokwe people, Sambia / Angola).

 

Pfeil runterAntelope mask

Mask made of wood and pressed metal.

 

Pfeil runterWhite painted mask

Mask painted with white pigment.

 

Pfeil runterDecorated wooden mask

Wooden mask decorated with cloth, Cowries and beads.

 

Pfeil runterMask top piece

Mask head top piece in form of an antelope.