Bangende mask. Cotton, cowrie shell, beads, raffia, wood
Democratic Republic of Congo. From the collection of the Horniman Museum
Democratic Republic of Congo. From the collection of the Horniman Museum
The only time I had a chance to have a closer look at African masks was during my visits to the British and Horniman Museums in London. The masks definitely left a strong impression on me...some looked really scary, some were beautiful in their own unique way and others struck with skillfulness and complexity of handicraft work. African masks are not something you can easily forget once you have seen them. Sometimes masks are a realistic representation of the human or animal head but more often they are carved in an exaggerated or distorted way designed to suggest a supernatural presence.