The Form

The forms of African art are seen as the direct statement of the emotions of their creators. The sculptor uses traditional, symbolic forms, which could be understood by the other people in his group as they all have the same background and share the same beliefs.

Masks have different forms:

Most often they have been cut from single piece of wood, however, masks with a jointed lower jaw could be found, for example, in Dan (Ivory Coast) tribal art. Sometimes they have just a "face", which covers the face of the dancer but is a part of a costume or a head covering.

The other kind, helmet masks, encase the entire dancer’s head ( e.g. Makonde or Yoruba masks). Certain helmet masks are worn across the top of the head (i.e. crocodile masks of the Gelede society of the Yoruba people, Benin and Nigeria).

Double masks have two faces crafted side by side.

Back to back with each other, Janus masks of the Baule-Yaure people of Ivory Cost also have two faces. Similarly, antelope skin covered helmet masks of the Ikoi people of Nigeria show past and future, death and life and represent dead, but, at the same time living members of the village. Chiwara (Tyi wara) headdress made by the Bambara people consists of a stylised antelope figure resting upon the head, which, as a part of the disguise, was usually covered by some kind of woven material or raffia.

Even more unusual are the masks of the Bwa or Gurunsi people of Burkina Faso consisting of a flat disc with round or lazenge shaped mouths and provided with a multicoloured superstructure carved vertically or horizontally (in the shape of butterfly or owl wings) on the top. The Dogon people of Mali also have masks with superstructure. The best known is the “kanaga” with a flat, high superstructure representing a crocodile. In Dogon mythology the crocodile is believed to have helped Dogon people to cross a river, that had stood in the way on their journey to their present homeland.

The biggest of all African masks is the so called “large mask” of the Dogon people with flat and geometrically curved superstructure up to 6 m high.

The Idoma people of Nigeria use an original, three-faced mask in ceremonies to track down and punish those who break the traditional law in any way. “Armed” with the multiple vision of his three pairs of eyes, the dancer himself can not be identified, because he is well hidden inside his mask and costume.

Body masks used by the Yoruba tribe (the Gelede society) in Benin and Nigeria and also by the Fon people of Rep. of Benin have only two breasts and a very prominent belly. A man (dressed like a woman in a multicolored costume) performing dance rituals for female fertility carries it on the chest.

The Baga people of Guinea Bissau have the "nimba" shoulder mask, which plays a specific part in fertility for the earth and women. Greatly enlarged breasts are the main feature of this mask which symbolizes a goddess of fertility. It helps women to get pregnant and can also increase the harvest.