wooden gifts

A serious expression belies the joy of an abundant harvest. Carved and painted by hand, this handsome mask comes from Abdul Aziz Mohamadu. "It is used by the Goroshie tribe in Nigeria during thier harvest festival called Motaka Rafi." he says. He names it Bawule, a Hausa word which means "God gives."

The mask of the Mumuye people features small dark eyes on a whitened face. Once upon a time this type of mask was used during pre-war ceremonies; today they are worn during rainmaking ceremonies and healing practices. Mumuye people live along the Benue River in eastern Nigeria. Working with seasoned sese wood, Christopher Nyasafo faithfully replicates the beauty of this millenary mask with painted details.

A mask to honor ancestors, this one is largely known as "Festac." It commemorates the Festival of Arts and Crafts. This yearly event that began in Nigeria is represented by a mask personifying Queen Idia, and it symbolizes the spiritual bond that unites all peoples of African descent in the world today. Frank Odei Amoani creates a stunning version as he carves this mask of sese wood and applies clay to achieve an ancient, weathered look.

Queen Idia extended the frontier of what is known as the Ancient Benin Empire to unbelievable heights and wide geographical reach. She was a devout patron of the arts who encouraged the creative impulses of her people as much as their valiant pursuit of conquest.

Carved by hand, this exquisite mask by Abdul Aziz Mohamadu features gleaming brass and colorful beads. "Such masks are used by men of the Igbo tribe in Nigeria to express how they feel about a woman," he explains. "A husband may also give such a mask to his wife to affirm how beautiful she is to him." Mohamadu names the mask Inido, "Beautiful" in the Igbo language.

"Among the Hausa people of Nigeria," says artist Abdul Aziz Mohamadu, "masks such as these are given to a woman by a man as a wedding proposal. If she does not return the mask, the proposal has been accepted." Named Shawa – Hausa for "Lover's Beauty". This contemporary example is hand-carved of native rubberwood and adorned with intricate aluminum nailhead patterns before being rubbed with a white clay finish for an aged effect. Comes ready to hang.