History of East African Masks
If you own a legitimate East African mask, you are probably the envy of many a collector. For Westerners, these masks have become coveted items. For the indigenous cultures that created these masks, they are much more. These masks often represent the link between the world they live in and the supernatural world, according to Vrije Universiteit Brussel.
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East Africa
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To understand East African masks, you need to understand the people and the region behind these masks. According to U.N. information, East Africa is made up of 19 territories. Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Burundi and Rwanda make up what's called the East African Community. Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia are considered the "Horn of Africa." Many other countries are considered to be in this region, but are often lumped in with southern Africa: Mozambique, Madagascar, Malwai, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The United Nations also acknowledges island nations of Comoros, Mauritius, Seychelles, Reunion and Mayotte as part of East Africa.
Mekonde
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The Makonde are among the best-known mask makers in East Africa, according to the website Masks and More Masks. As artists, the Makonde of Tanzania and Mozambique prefer realism; they make the features on their masks true to the subject represented. Another distinguishing aspect of the Makonde mask is the cloth covering worn with the mask. As a "realistic" mask, the subject is often something that is familiar to the artist or performer wearing the mask, like an older person in the village, a young woman or an animal.
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Sukuma
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In contrast to the realism portrayed in Makonde masks, African art museum Zyama reports that the masks of the Sukuma are much more of a departure from the real. The Sukuma, a 1 million strong tribe residing in northern Tanzania, prefer to carve masks with scared-looking expressions and exaggerated features. That doesn't mean they shy away from details, though. Brows, beards and other facial hair are often applied.
Purpose
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The masks of East Africa carry much meaning and symbolism to the cultures that carve them. Sometimes the masks depict relatives who have died or they represent spirit beings. Sometimes they are used as forms of social control, other times they are used to ward off evil spirits or witches. Often, these masks are used in ceremonies where elaborately dressed dancers don them as a way to express the group's social, religious and moral beliefs, according to Bayly Art Museum at the University of Virginia.
Death Masks
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One of the most compelling ways these intricately carved masks have been used by East African tribes is the creation of "death masks." The Balson Holdings Family Trust Collection recounts the story of a white hunter in the 1940s who swapped some of these detailed masks for some cigarettes when he was in northern Mozambique. The white hunter probably didn't realize that these masks were used by witch doctors to cast spells over people. The spell was intended to kill them. The masks were carved to resemble the person that was the target of the spell.
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