wooden carved masks

This elongated African mask with two faces is hand-carved from sese wood by Ernestina Oppong Asante. Although wood carving is traditionally the domain of men, this talented Ghanaian artisan has established herself as a carver on the strength of her own craftsmanship. This design is an original creation based on the art of the Bobo people.

Among the Bobo people of Burkina Faso and Mali, masks are used in rituals to help connect humans with nature and the gods. In ceremonies, the mask wearers lose their individual identities and become part of the divinity believed to be held within the masks.

For the Bobo peoples of Burkina Faso and Mali, masks that represent animals or spirits play an important role in daily life. Featuring antelope-like horns, this handcrafted wood mask from Sinclair Yao Daley in Ghana exemplifies Bobo artistry. Such masks are used by the Bobo in harvest ceremonies, funerals, and rites of passage.

Salihu Ibrahim carves a beautiful mask filled with meaning known only to initiates in the Bwa tribe of Burkina Faso. The checkerboard represents the separation of good and evil, wise from stupid, and male from female. At the top, a large white crescent denotes the moon of the masks that shines during the seasons when the masks perform. Ibrahim names the piece Nwantantay, or "Bush Spirits." Nwantantay have no natural shape and must be portrayed in abstract geometric form. The spirits embodied in the masks bless the families that own the mask and dance with it in public.

Featureless, this mask represents protective spirits that can take animal form or can appear as strange beings. These spirits watch over families, clans and communities. They provide for fertility, health and prosperity as well as continuity of life. Superbly carved by Salihu Ibrahim, this mask is representative of the Gurunsi people from Burkina Faso.

The Mossi people of Burkina Faso believe that masks are links to the spiritual world, allowing us to become more in tune with nature. Inspired by their art styles, Ghana's Emmanuel Austin Ankude hand-carves this mask of a ram through a painstaking process that takes weeks to complete. He finishes it with clay for an antique look.