African culture and history is indeed colorful and rich in terms of native arts. It is a land where its people give so much importance on their ancestry. In reality, they even know the names of their forefathers like other people know the names of their favorite basketball stars. Anyhow, part of their traditions and customs are the use of mask. These artworks are utilized in ceremonies, festivals, crop harvesting, war preparation, peace times and trouble times. Here are few different types of African masks.

The first one is the unique African helmet crest. Unlike other common masks which cover the wearer’s entire head, this type is worn like a cap leaving the face free. These masks are mostly used in West Africa specifically in the Grasslands of Cameroon and the Gelede Association of Yoruba which is in Southern Nigeria.

The next type of mask that we can look at is the Cap crest, sometimes known as forehead mask. This type of mask consists only of a half face. However, it is worn horizontally, stabilized on the wearer’s head by a circular ridge. There are certain anthropomorphic varieties where the wearer leans forward and then lowers his head to direct the mask’s gaze towards the spectators. In the zoomorphic forehead and helmet crests, this posture is not necessary. In order for the masquerade to be complete, the wearer conceals his face with a piece of cloth, a translucent veil, or some similar material.

Next, let us look at the headdress masks. These ones entail representations of humans or animal heads or figures that rise above a small base that rest on top of the wearer’s head. You can find illustrations of these masks in the art of various ethnic groups in the area of the Cross River in Nigeria and also the Bamana in Mali.

Shoulder Masks are created to rest on the wearer’s shoulders with a small opening to see through. Shoulder masks can be used as wonderful decorations in your abode, workplace, or any other spaces inside a building depending on your artistic mind

There are numerous kinds of African Masks that you can use for decorative purposes. If you are keen to get more information about African decor, please don’t hesitate to drop by our site hesitateion-Africa.net.