This mask is a modest version of the Mukyeem Helmet mask that is made by the Kuba cultures of Central Africa. Most Mukyeem masks are large, elaborate structures that envelop the head, and they may be identified by the rich, symbolic materials used to make them. The masks typically incorporate leather and fur to represent powerful wild animals; elaborate and colorful beadwork … [Read more...] about Mukyeem Mask: Researched and Conserved by Samantha Walsh
The Maasai, the Kikuyu, the Kamba, and other native cultures of Kenya did not traditionally do figural woodcarving before the early 20th century. The Kamba, for example, limited their woodcarving to medicinal, spiritual, or funerary objects such as medicine staffs, wooden stoppers for gourds, and horn medicine containers. Then, shortly after World War I, a Kamba soldier in … [Read more...] about African Tourist-Trade Animal Sculpture Researched by Ashley McLaughlin and Morgan Davis
Turtle Shell Basketry Mask Researched and Conserved by Marissa Ewing BEFORE CONSERVATION AFTER CONSERVATION The art of the Sepik River region of Papua New Guinea revolves heavily around men’s societies and their associated ceremonies and initiations. Sepik River religions involve ancestor worship, and many of the masks produced in this … [Read more...] about Turtle Shell Basketry Mask Researched and Conserved by Marissa Ewing