How to Make a False Face Basswood Mask
False face masks traditionally were worn by the Iroquois Indians to bring healing and to invite spirits to visit. The Iroquois formed a false face mask society, and anyone they healed became a member. The masks feature a wide variety of designs, but most include horse hair, corn husks and buffalo hair for decoration, pouches of tobacco tied into the hair strands, and they are painted red and black. You can fashion these masks from any type of wood, but typically the lighter basswood is used. Creating a basswood false face mask helps celebrate this Iroquois tradition.
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Things You'll Need
- Basswood
- Carving knife
- Horse hair or corn husks
- Acrylic paints
- Leather tie
Instructions
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Buy a piece of basswood big enough to fit your face. You will find basswood at hobby and craft shops. Other woods are acceptable, but basswood is authentic and easy to carve.
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Sketch a design. Base your mask on a reference photo or be creative and design an original. Keep in mind a few defining features: The masks are usually plain, with wide eyes and accented mouths. Often false face mask are startlingly spooky.
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Carve your design using a small carving knife. Cut into the basswood and remove chunks until you form a nose. Then draw the eyes, and instead of cutting them out, carve into the wood and create the eyes as a depression. Do the same with the mouth, then use the tip of your blade to carve a decorative enhancement around the outside of the mouth.
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Decorate your mask with horse hair or corn husks. You can use wig hair, but the mask will be less authentic. Tie a leather pouch of tobacco into the hair, another false face tradition.
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Cut a small slot into each side of the mask, approximately centered, and attach a leather strap that will hold the mask in place when worn. Tie a knot at each end of the strap to hold it in place.
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Paint your mask with acrylic paint. Red and black are the traditional base colors, but yellow, brown and blue can be used, too. Paint the entire mask black or red--tradition states red if the mask is carved in the morning, black if it is carved at night--then use additional colors to decorate around the eyes and mouth.
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References
- Photo Credit http://www.snowgoose.ca/native/DSCN0145.JPG
