African masks are steeped in tradition and spiritual myths, that date back as far as man can be place on earth in Africa. The African masks which most people think of as the face mask can actually be placed into different categories
Headdress mask
Face mask
Horizontal plank mask
Helmet Masks
Body or Belly Mask
Helmet Crest
Cap Crest
Shoulder mask
Multi wearer mask
Almost all African countries will have a link to some form of spiritual being and in most cases use the mask as a ceremonial attire when calling on the Gods. The deferent masks within each region represent deferent callings. Worship with some African masks are only allowed to be worn by certain people, such as the rain callers, the high chiefs or the Voodoo witch doctors.
The African masks can take on many forms but in most cases are represented by the human face. Some countries worship the earthly animals and this can be seen in the animal shaped face masks that they create.
Whatever your choice in mask may be we at African Crafts Market can arrange that mask for you should that mask not be in our gallery. We source mask from all over Africa and ship to any destination world wide.
On the left you will see a few photo's of masks for sale at a local African market in Zululand in South Africa. The art of mask carving is one that the modern African is starting to loose. As modern times start to take over there are fever and fewer mask carvers around. Soon many masks will only be seen in Museums.
