Other Materials Knitted materials were used as were beadwork, basketry and fabrics. Additional materials included :- shells, beads, twigs, bark, teeth, hair, beaten or repousse metal, vegetable fibres and skin, to mention a few. West Africa The masks of this area are well documented by Ladislas Segy in Masks of Black Africa. His book lists the following areas:- Guinea-Bissau Republic of Guinea Sierra Leone Mali Liberia Ivory Coast Upper Volta Ghana Nigeria Cameroon Within each of these countries can be found ancient traditions associated with individual tribes displaying common links. The areas associated with some groups cross boundaries. The names of the different tribes is too extensive to list at the moment. Equatorial Africa Congo Zaire Zambia Similar themes and traditions are found with the masks from this area when compared with those of the Western countries. In the early Fifteenth Century the well established Kongo people had close contact with the Portuguese and later some converted to Christianity. This has had some influence on the type of festivities and masks. The Kongo dominated various tribes in the area of these the Woyo and Yombe produced notable mask The Ndunga masks of the Woyo were larger than life size and had projecting foreheads large cheeks with small eyes, the surface of these faces was painted with white or brightly coloured asymmetrical designs. The Western Pende on the Kwilu River in Zaire have two major types of mask. The Minhajl, which represent the ancestors and the Mbuya which represent various village characters such as the fool, the prostitute, the chief etc. These masks are used in the reinforcement of social control. The amusing performances are brightened by the triangular faces of the masks with bulging eyes, open mouths containing carved teeth painted in a variety of colours. The more powerful Minganji masks are simpler circular forms made from raffia with tubular eyes and no other features. All the masks are constructed in secret away from the village. In the Makenda circumcision ceremony the Mbuya appear from out of the bush and dance in the village square until dusk. As the sky darkens, Minganji, masked dancers, materialise and move around the village at a distance, helping to develop the sense of awe and unease. In the secret circumcision camp the initiated youths are allowed to handle the mask as they are now fully fledged members of the society. Many other styles are found in these areas. East Africa Tanzania and Mozambique are both home to the Mekonde one of the best know tribe of mask makers in East Africa. The Mekonde masks come in various styles, the southern groups using the helmet type. The features of these masks are often realistic and are worn with a cloth covering the head of the dancer. Scarification is used. The characters represented are familiar to the local people:- the old man, the doctor, the young woman and the Arab, some animal masks are found. Over view It must be noted that the masks of Africa represent a wealth of forms and designs which have been well collected and catalogued. The total range is by no means represented here. The common connections between the masks and the different groups are obviously strong. Would you like regular updates on the Masking World?
