How to Make a Jamaican Tribal Mask
The earliest recorded inhabitants of Jamaica were tribes of Taino Indians or the Arawaks. Today, Jamaica is an ethnically diverse society and this diversity is reflected in its arts and crafts. Jamaican art depicts Jamaican everyday life and is manifested through music, dance, sculptures, paintings, collages and craft works. Masks may be worn during Jamaican Christmas festivities and other traditional and national holidays. Jamaican masks can be sculpted in wood or clay, but you can create a mask using the papier mache technique.
Things You'll Need
- White glue
- Scissors
- Tape
- Newspapers
- White glue
- Vegetable oil
- Balloon
- Water-based paints or sprays
- Paintbrushes
- Beads, seashells, yarn, pieces of fabric, raffia
Instructions
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1
Select a picture of a Jamaican mask you want to recreate. Look for Taino Indian or Arawak masks, which were the tribes that inhabited Jamaica. Jamaican masks come in various shapes and they may depict humans or animals. Print the picture to use as a reference.
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2
Cut thin paper strips using newspapers or scrap paper.
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3
Prepare a papier mache paste. The easiest recipe for wallpaper paste is to use one part white glue and one part water. Drip a few drops of vegetable oil in the paste. Oil makes the papier mache resistant to fungi.
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4
Inflate a balloon that has the shape of the mask you chose to make.
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5
Apply wallpaper paste on both sides of a paper strip and place it on the balloon. Apply several strips of paper close to each other to cover one side of the balloon. Allow to dry.
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6
Apply another layer made up of strips of paper using the same technique as in Step 5. You may add more layers if you want to have a sturdier mask. Leave the mask aside to dry for 12 to 24 hours.
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7
Cut the mask to the desired shape using a pair of scissors. Trace holes for the eyes and the mouth of the mask, and cut these out.
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8
Decorate the mask. Use papier mache to make horns or ears for your mask, if your design features these elements. Glue or tape the horns or ears to your mask. Cover the tape with a few strips of papier mache.
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9
Color the mask using black, which is commonly used on Taino Indian masks. However, modern Jamaican masks also employ primary colors such as red, green, yellow (or gold) and black, so you may also include these if you want to make a colorful mask.
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10
Glue on decorations including seashells, beads, pieces of fabric, raffia or yarn to the mask.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Stockbyte/Stockbyte/Getty Images
