[img]http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQSB1Zl8v2rDDf0hgyzHGP-WO_TsOmqBWBUkuyTIcPo7bAankuqXPRYolWKnA[/img]

The task of the Kponyugu mask is to detect and destroy negative forces and harmful spirits who in the shape of monsters or wild animals threaten people in times of crisis or vulnerability, for example during burial ceremonies.

The Senufo are a farming people who live in the northern and central regions of the Ivory Coast and the southern regions of Mali and Burkino Faso. They have a vital masquerading tradition associated with various male societies including Poro. Zoomorphic masks are active among the southern Senufo in the densely populated area around the city of Korhogo.

The threatening appearance of the Kponyugu befits its purpose of battling evil. Powerful jaws and sharp teeth (recalling a crocodile or hyena' snout) and tusks like those of a warthog underscore its aggressive nature. On occasions they have been said to emit swarms of wild bees or blasts of fire - after dark tinder is held in a cleft stick in front of the mouth.

The mask recalls the chaos before the world was set in order. Between the horns is a hornbill and a chameleon, two of the primordal animals. The chameleon' slow and careful walk is due to the fact that he was the first creature to walk on the newly formed surface of the earth.

Due to the dangerous forces they embody, masks and costumes are treated with extreme caution and kept in an isolated shelter or secret grove away from the village. The most dangerous mask is kept within the grove and the more innocuous mask on the outside or edges of it.

The mask derived its power from the magical and/or medicinal substances (wah) placed in the small cup in the crown held by the two chameleons. The mask was supplemented by a costume of cotton fabric (wao, wabele) and danced to music in the context of the ceremony. Recycled glass beads are attached to the “wah” cup and cowries are attached to the ears - the holes are rounded with wear.

Mask 1950–67

Gola or Vai

Liberia

gumwood, stain


Birds are common embellishments found on Sande masks. Noninga ta kulo lolo is a Mende saying that means "birds see far." In Mende mythology, birds have the ability to see into the future and often act as intermediaries between the human and spirit realm.

Maintaining Silence and Secrecy
Members of the Sande society take great pains to ensure that the masker's true identity stays hidden. For instance, "on occasions when the zooba [in Vai] is to perform, seven or eight women will enter the zoo house (where Sande masks and paraphernalia are kept), but only three or four exit, leaving some doubt as to which one is the dancer." The Sande spirit must be completely covered by the mask, clothing, and raffia so that no part of her is visible to the audience while dancing or at rest. This would tarnish the masker's embodiment of the ngafa or mystical spirit.

One of the defining characteristics of the sowei mask is its silence, for it neither speaks nor is spoken to directly by the audience to emphasize its spiritual, otherworldly being. It does not communicate with ordinary mortals, nor do masked performers appear to speak to one another when there is more than one dancing. If conversation does occur, it is from the masker's attendant. Her attendant calls out the masker's presence to introduce her to the crowd so that all are aware of her presence. The dancer may carry a cane or a twig to communicate with musicians or her attendant.

The gourd rattle is the traditional musical accompaniment to the masker's performance, but today, male musicians may also play instruments such as drums or slit-gongs (hollowed, log drums).

]A wide variety of masks are worn in Efe-Gelede performances, all of which touch on aspects of Yoruba life. Snakes, birds, tortoises, and lizards, as well as historical public figures, fashion trends, and foreigners, are frequently depicted. This Efe mask is unusual in its representation of a bearded Muslim man from northern Nigeria, distinguished by seven carved amulets (three across his forehead and four flanking his beard). These amulets signify evil-averting devices containing verses from the Qur'an, which empower the mask. There has been a strong Muslim presence in Yorubaland since the seventeenth century, and aspects of Islam have been incorporated into local religious traditions. The white color of this mask tells us that it would be danced at the nighttime Efe ceremony in order to educate and entertain the community on both secular and spiritual matters, while both placating and honoring Yoruba women.

. . . physics nice work showcasing the diversities of African art and their significance in the history and culture of our people. Do you know who wrote this narrative attributing the mask to representation of Northern muslim? That association is wrrong in several ways.

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Senufo Mask, Ivory Coast

Negro_Ntns:
. . . physics nice work showcasing the diversities of African art and their significance in the history and culture of our people. Do you know who wrote this narrative attributing the mask to representation of Northern muslim? That association is wrrong in several ways.

Thanks.

And yeah, now that you've pointed it out I see that that caption is probably off in some way. The author was one Dana Rush:

http://www.kam.illinois.edu/collection/africa/BeninMask.html

The individual depicted in the mask is clearly Yoruba and if she meant a Yoruba Muslim she should have said so more explicitly because "Muslim man from northern Nigeria" isn't exactly the same thing.

Also, you said it was wrong in several ways. Is the claim about the significance of the seven amulets and their connection to Islam also wrong?

[img]http://www.laportedogon.fr/thumb.ashx?ImageID=10238[/img]

[img]http://www.laportedogon.fr/thumb.ashx?ImageID=10240[/img]

[img]http://www.laportedogon.fr/thumb.ashx?ImageID=10239[/img]

Idoma mask

Urhobo Mask " Omotokpokpa "

Type of Object: Face Mask
Ethnic Group: Urhobo - Isoko
Country of Origin: Nigeria
Materials: Wood and Pigment
Approximate Age: Second half 20th Century
Dimensions: 20.5 inches x 8.5 inches

Additional Information: A well used face mask with large hairstyle coming from the Urhobo peoples of the Niger Delta region of Nigeria that is a crossroads of shared cultural practices and artistic interactions. The downcast half-opened eyes, pointed nose, and a close mouth showing carved teeth, are hallmarks of this style of mask carving executed in. There are motifs in relief on the the temples. These markings represent scarification patterns which were prominent among the Urhobo in the 19th century. The worn off patina on this piece indicates the mask was extensively used and repainted several times.

This offered mask painted in white represents a beautiful young female water spirit known as Omotokpokpa, and shows her as a bride wearing a specific crown ended with a carved head.

Recommended Reading:

Wittmer, M. & W. Arnett. Three Rivers of Nigeria. 1978

Anderson. M. and P. Peek, Ways of the Rivers, Art and Environment of the Niger Delta. 2002
Perkins Foss (editor), Where Gods and Mortals Meet. Continuity and Renewal. Urhobo Art. Museum of African Art, New York. Snoeck Publishers, Ghent. 2004

Unusual Urhobo Mask
Origin: Niger River Delta
Circa: 20 th Century AD
Dimensions: 8.5" (21.6cm) high x 7.25" (18.4cm) wide
Collection: African Art
Medium: Wood and Reeds

[img]http://www.arts-primitifs.com/shop-africain/product_thumb.php?img=images/00-2009/0910/P1140978.jpg&w=666&h=160[/img]

Mblo facial mask

Baoule/Baule, Ivory Coast

Maiden Spirit Helmet Mask (Agbogho Mmwo)

Agbogho mmwo, or "maiden spirit," masks are worn by men at festivals that honor important deities. They represent the Igbo ideal of female beauty: small, balanced features, elaborate hairstyles, and delicate tattoos. The men who dance agbogho mmwo masks wear colorful, tight-fitting fiber costumes, entertaining the crowd with exaggerated versions of women's dances.

* Culture: Igbo
* Medium: Wood, pigment, string
* Place Made: Nigeria
* Dates: early 20th century
* Dimensions: 19 3/4 x 5 3/4 x 12 in. (50.2 x 14.6 x 30.5 cm)

Nigerian - Mfon Mask, Ibibio Culture

^^^

Lol this figure looks like somebody I know. . .well similar in certain respects

[img]http://1.bp..com/-GnGJhYkBM0E/TbxgdnySxGI/AAAAAAAABDk/WLtxkc7Flsk/s640/Buffalo+Head%252C+19-20th+C%252C+Ewe+peoples%252C+Togo%252C+terracotta%252C+9x9x5+%2528Met+1979.206.1%2529+-+7.jpg[/img]

Buffalo Head, 19-20th C, Ewe peoples, Togo

[img]http://img.fotodom.ru/QM01-0392.jpg?size=l[/img]



The Ekpo society, widespread throughout eastern Nigeria, used masquerades in dances to honour ancestors and as a means of social control. Country of Origin: Nigeria. Culture: Ibibio. Date/Period: 20th C. Place of Origin: Nigeria. Material Size: wood.

[img]http://img.fotodom.ru/QM01-3643.jpg?size=l[/img]



Wooden dance mask with chameleon oncrest. Country of Origin: Nigeria. Culture: Afo. Date/Period: 19th-20th C. Place of Origin: Central Nigeria. Material Size: Wood, abrus seeds

[img]http://img.fotodom.ru/QM01-0700.jpg?size=l[/img]







Prestige drinking vessel in the form of a head. Country of Origin: Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Africa. Culture: Kuba. Date/Period: 19th-20th C. Place of Origin: Central Congo. Material Size: Wood, brass strip, h=7.5 '

[img]http://img.fotodom.ru/QM01-0383.jpg?size=l[/img]



Multiple faced "ungulali" headdress, surmounted by a cluster of birds, an ambivalent symbol of life and fertility but also of death and sacrifice. Carved by the great sculptor Ochai of Otobi, who died in 1949. Country of Origin: Nigeria. Culture: Idoma. Date/Period: 20th C. Place of Origin: Niger / Benue confluence. Material: Wood.

[img]http://img.fotodom.ru/QM01-0771.jpg?size=l[/img]



Guro masks. Formerly used by men's societies for social control functions today Guro masquerades are largely restricted to entertainment performances. Country of Origin: Ivory Coast. Culture: Guro. Place of Origin: Northern Ivory Coast. Material: Wood.

[img]http://img.fotodom.ru/QM01-0770.jpg?size=l[/img]



Guro mask. Formerly used by men's societies for social control functions today Guro masquerades are largely restricted to entertainment performances. Country of Origin: Ivory Coast. Culture: Guro. Place of Origin: Northern Ivory Coast. Material: Wood

[img]http://img.fotodom.ru/QM01-0749.jpg?size=l[/img]



A mask called 'leu', representing a warthog in the Do masquerades of the Ligbe. Unusually this masquerade is wholly Islamic, being performed by Muslims in front of the mosque during Islamic festivals, especially in the week after Ramadan. Country of Origin: Ivory Coast. Culture: Ligbe. Place of Origin: Bondoukou region, N. East Ivory Coast. Material: Wood

[img]http://img.fotodom.ru/QM01-0747.jpg?size=l[/img]



Heddle pulley used to support the cord to the foot pedals which alternate the heddles on the narrow strip loom typical of West African men's weaving. This example depicts a composite of Baule mask styles. Country of Origin: Ivory Coast. Culture: Baule. Place of Origin: Central Ivory Coast. Material: Wood

A sculpture from the Baga people of Guinea-Bissau

Gabon - Kwele Mask (Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC)

"An authentic, old royal helmet mask called Agba from the Igala people of Nigeria. This Agba helmet mask would appear every year as the Igala people would participate in important ceremonies celebrating the power of their king."

[img]http://3.bp..com/_6Z-STtWCsQo/RnPXMHCNkqI/AAAAAAAACcU/P--Me57u16Y/s1600/159298182_PF6014-227-1.jpg[/img]

Tsonga neckrest

[img]http://2.bp..com/_KZOfzeQTrBY/S1iLru9tMPI/AAAAAAAAAWg/PeOju1Zywrg/s1600/female%2Bmask.jpg[/img]

Female Spirit Mask
African
Punu peoples
Gabon & Democratic Republic of the Congo
19th century.
Wood and pigment
10 x 6 ½ x 6 ½ inches.

[img]http://2.bp..com/_6Z-STtWCsQo/RnPVa3CNkbI/AAAAAAAACac/RyzGK0YoNU0/s1600/159282907_PF6014-198-1.jpg[/img]

'White-faced okuyi masks (or mukuyi - cf. the university theses by Monique Koumba-Manfoumbi, 1987 and Alisa LaGamma, 1995) were used during important ceremonies of village life, most notably during mourning. In certain instances, the masks were danced on stilts and used to present important mock arguments in order to resolve conflict. Each dancer, aided by his companions, would defend a point of view against an opposing one.'

[img]http://4.bp..com/_6Z-STtWCsQo/Rm0Ib3CNhOI/AAAAAAAAB9Q/VivsifyvAJw/s1600/212.jpg[/img]

Punu mask

Gabon

Baule Ram Masks, Ivory Coast

Sierra Leone - Vai Helmet Mask (Museum of Fine Arts, Boston)

Sierra Leone
Vai peoples
late 19th to early 20th century
14 1/4 x 8 3/16 x 10 3/4 in.
Wood with black pigment and metal

This mask was associated with the education and socialization of young girls by the women's Sande society, into which all girls are initiated at puberty, among the Vai peoples and their neighbors in northern Liberia and Sierra Leone. Senior women wore these masks at the termination of initiation ceremonies in order to embody Sowei, patron spirit of fecundity and grace. The mask's elegant coiffure, high forehead, compressed triangular face, and voluminous neck rolls (signifying wealth) embody goodness and female beauty. This masking tradition is unusual in that women commission masks from male carvers and are the ones who perform in the masquerade.

Seated Male Figure with Lance, 15th–20th century
Mali; Bamana peoples
Wood

H. (figure) 35 3/8 in. (89.9 cm)
Gift of the Kronos Collections, in honor of Martin Lerner, 1983 (1983.600a,b)
On view: Gallery 350 Last Updated April 6, 2012

Bamana figures such as this were the focal point of celebrations of the Jo and Gwan initiation societies (associations of men and women) in several villages in southern Mali. Female elders among the Jo and Gwan leadership commissioned and cared for an entire series of allegorical figures belonging to their community. This work depicts an idealized male leader that would have been the companion to a similarly attired mother and child representation. Depending on a community's resources, such ensembles also generally included additional male and female attendant figures engaged in a variety of activities. For annual Jo and Gwan rituals, the sculptures were removed from their shrines, cleaned and oiled, decorated with cloth and beads, and set up in the village square as a group. The mother and child and her male counterpart were seated in central positions of honor, distinguished by attributes of their extraordinary physical and supernatural powers.

The specific gestures performed by the Jo and Gwan sculptures, which are not seen elsewhere in Bamana art, are descriptive of the supernatural protections and powers of elite Bamana leaders. The hat, adorned with depictions of animal horns and amulets, is a very important physical attribute of this particular sculpture. Amulets, which affect such things as fertility, health, hunting, agriculture, and warfare, derive their efficacy from the knowledge and skills of the person who makes and wears them. Additionally, the specific form of this hat identifies the figure as a hunter who possesses heightened powers of perception.

The lance held in the hand of this figure appears to have an iron blade and a wooden shaft and is therefore a depiction of a "weapon of distinction." Such an object was handed down from father to son at the time of his initiation as a relic of heroic ancestors and to protect the youth in his time of greatest vulnerability. The knife worn on the hunter's upper arm has additional associations with hunting and is of the type frequently seen on older examples of Bamana sculpture, including terracottas dating as far back as the twelfth century.

The heavily lidded eyes, closed mouth, and arms held close to the body suggest a sense of calm and self-possession, accentuating the stature and respect commanded by the figure. With its arched shoulders, curving facial features, rounded volumes, and underlying naturalism, this sculpture is a particularly graceful example of the Jo or Gwan style. The work's unusually good state of preservation, given its age, is the result of the extremely dry climate of southern Mali.

Nigeria - Igbo Cap Mask (Indianapolis Museum of Art)

Nigeria
Igbo peoples
Cap mask for Ogbodo Enyi masquerade
Creation date: 1940-1960
Materials: wood, pigment, iron
Dimensions 22 1/8 x 8 1/2 x 11 1/4 in.

A mask type of the northeastern Igbo is a cap mask with tusks and a trunk-like snout of an elephant. It is worn horizontally on top of the head and the masker is completely covered by a knitted garment. The mask appears at the annual yam harvest celebration and at the funerals of important leaders.