mystical masks

Master carver Gordon Adu presents this original pair of sese wood masks as a personal tribute to the moon. "In the countryside, when night falls and people are away from home, they use the moon as a guide," explains Adu. "That is why they regard the moon as the God of Night."

From Ghanaian artisan Abdul Aziz Mohamadu comes this fearsome mask that is designed to resemble the mask of a Zulu warrior. Hand-carved from sese wood, the brown mask is embellished by engraved aluminum plates and copper wire designs.

A magnificent wooden Owo mask evokes the glory of West African culture, handcrafted by master artisan Daniel Nyadedzor. "Owo," pronounced "owwor" in the local dialect, means snake. A mystical mask, it has two intertwined snakes reclining on the crest, complemented by a striking human visage on the forehead. Another interesting feature is the smoking pipe in his open mouth. Metal plates embossed with beautiful African symbols adorn the forehead and nose.

Sese, a local wood from Eastern Ghana, is patiently hand-carved and sanded to achieve the desired form. The piece is then delicately painted with black emulsion and coated with potassium. After a careful polishing, red tones are applied to the piece to add a rustic look. This historical work makes a wonderful addition to any collection.

This mask of mystical beauty is worn during the Edina Bakatue masquerade festival, which commemorates the founding of the city of Edina, in central Ghana. The Fante people of the region refer to the mask "Sumpa," meaning to serve well, and it is called upon to ask Nana Benya's continuous protection of the state and its people. Abdul Aziz Mohamadu creates an admirable African rubberwood replica featuring careful hand painted details. It is finished with white clay to achieve and antiqued look.

Stars on the eyelids distinguish this original mask as representing a mystical seer, or ganin neesa in Hausa. Ghana's Sefah Annwhar creates the original design of this hand-carved sese wood mask with a bird positioned on the forehead looking down. Annwhar completes the mask creating clay textures, adorning it with embossed aluminum and painted accents.

Cats are often related to sacred deities and magical spirits. Drawing inspiration from this mystical creature, Ghana's Raphat Asigbey handcrafts a stunning sese wood mask featuring a gorgeous cat in a dark tone, making an alluring wall decoration.

Black and brown hues enhance the mystic beauty of Victor Dushie's newest creation. Crafted in honor of Ghana's culture, this African sese wood mask has aluminum details for a traditional look and is titled Mawulorm, meaning “God loves me” in the Ewe language.

The natural beauty of the prosperous Ghana is captured in this African ceramic-accented sese wood mask crafted by Frank Odei Amoani in honor of those thriving lands that saw him grow up. After hours of meticulous work, the final result is a stunning piece of art in a traditional palette of brown and black hues, depicting the mystic image of an alligator, a symbol of sagacity.