Match the mask to the place:NEW ZEALAND - AFRICA - BRAZIL - INDONESIA - EGYPT - CHINA

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AFRICAN MASKS

Year 8 AFRICAN MASKS projectLearning Objectives:

1.To learn about African Masks: their key characteristics,

their traditional uses and their influence on other artists

and designers

2.To design and make your own imaginative work inspired

by African masks

3.To investigate and analyse masks from Africa and other

places

4.To explore and experiment with ideas, materials, tools

and techniques

5.To reflect and evaluate my own and others’ work

Key Characteristics of African Masks

African Masks

shapematerials

colorsadornment

or decoration

inspiration or meaning

patterntexture

Shapes and their meanings

Masks come in all sorts of shapes and proportions. These have hidden meanings: eyes wide shut and lines near the mouth represent tranquillity, masks with small eyes and mouths represent humility and humbleness, a bulging forehead represents wisdom.

Other masks that have exaggerated long faces and broad foreheads symbolize power. War masks are also popular.

Some tribes carve masks with round eyes to represent alertness and anger.

Some ideas for different shapes….

Class Activity Draw one of the examples found at this site and play the memory game found at this site

www.artyfactory.co.uk/africanmasks/

PATTERN

How many words can you think of to describe different types of pattern?

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Bold pattern, either painted or carved, is a powerful and expressive element in African mask design.

Most patterns tend to be geometrical and symmetrical.

Pattern is often used as a form of coded information (symbolism or secret meanings).

Circular patterns

The use of patterns

•Parallel, zigzag, cruciform (crosses), curved and spiral lines, representing scarification marks (decorative scars on skin) or tattoos, are used to show importance or religious / magical powers.

•Different geometric patterns are sometimes used to distinguish between male and female masks.

•Square and triangular checkerboard grids are often carved to decorate sections of a design.

Carved wooden masks: scarification patterns

Animals as Inspiration

Learn about animal and bird mask designs.

You could use the picture of an animal or bird from Africa to inspire your own design

for a mask.

Animal, bird and reptile shapes were used to represent different spirits, gods or creatures from ancient stories

Animal Masks

People of tribal Africa are very close to nature and through their myths and beliefs have created a powerful relationship with the animal world. Many animals are associated with spirits. Spirits can hear, see and speak and very often appear in African art disguised as animals. Animals play an important role in the life of African people. Animal masks take part in the majority of ceremonies and are the core of many African tales.

Class Activity

Look at some examples of different masks from another traditional culture

draw one. (e.g. Chinese, Indonesian, Thai)

http://www.masksoftheworld.com/

MaterialsTraditional, African materials

Wood

Metal (bronze)

Clay

Shells

Beads

Feathers

Cloth

What we could use:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Metal (bronze) masks

Masks and costume

Masks are usually worn with a costume or head-dress to completely hide the true identity of the person wearing them, and to make the effect more dramatic. Materials can include shells, hair, cloth, leather, beads and modern materials like plastic.

Extra Credit activity

Design (in color) a modern up-to-date mask, for one of the following purposes:

•Halloween

•Carnival

•Super Hero kid’s party

•Sporting activity

•Sci-fi film

Lesson 7Why are masks worn?

The ‘Kanaga’ masks of the Dogon people

In Dogon territory, if someone important dies, then after the 'first funeral' the family will organise a masked dance – a ‘dama’. The time in-between the person dying and the dama is seen to be dangerous for the family and their village, as it is believed that the dead person’s spirit roams homeless amongst them and brings bad forces.

The function of the dama, is to master the secret force that comes from the dead person and send it through the medium of masks, songs and dances to the sacred places. At the end of the dama the dead person will belong to the ranks of ancestors and peace will come to the village. Sometimes the dama may last as long as 6 days.

The members of the Awa— a mask society—repaint or carve afresh the masks that they will wear. away from the village, in rocky shelters or in the bush. The hoods and the short skirts for the costumes are made from tree bark and the long skirts from bush fibres. These are plaited and dyed black, red or yellow. Cowrie shells and other ornaments are fixed to the hoods and masks.

The masked actors act out the creation story so that the

danger that has been brought about by the death is brought to

an end by the re-enactment of the first moments of the

beginning of the universe. Lots of different masks are used but

the most symbolic are the kanaga masks. The kanaga is

topped by a short pole to which wooden blades are fixed,

making upwards and downwards limb shapes. The face of the

mask is partly encircled by a crest of very stiff fibres, dyed

either red or yellow. The shape of the mask could be the

symbol of man, pointing to both earth and sky, or it could be

the water insect from which all other seeds and humans grew.

The value of an authentic African tribal ceremony mask

Sold at Sotheby's Auction House Auction Date : May 17, 2002

A FINE DOGON KANAGA MASKof highly abstract form, and pierced for attachment, with a cylindrical protrusion for the mouth beneath a thin linear nose and overhanging brow framed by pierced square eyes beneath the abstract double cruciform infrastructure; exceptionally fine and old patina of encrusted black and white.

SOLD FOR: $ 5,975

Masks for sale?Although African masks are sold around the world, these masks are only replicas (copies) of the original masks used in African societies. Most authentic (real) African masks are passed down from one generation to the next, and masks that have truly been used in African ceremonies are almost never found on the open market.

For many villages in the countryside, modern religions have not replaced traditional masked dances for harvest blessings. Even for Africans who no longer take part in village life, the masks are still used in public ceremonies - a proud reminder of their African heritage.

Homework

Bring in small objects to decorate

your mask –

pasta, stones, bottle tops, card, wire,

feathers, beads etc.

Lesson Continued

Work with surface textures and decorative details: string, feathers, wool, beads, card and sawdust

Metalwork, shells, beads and gold paint

are used to decorate or adorn some

masks

final Class ActivityUsing the diagram below to help you,

write 5 sentences about the

key characteristics of your mask.

Color and Surface

Think about the color and surface of your mask:

Natural earthy colors like browns, blacks, dark reds and yellows …or…

Bright, ceremonial, dramatic colors like blues, greens, bright yellow, red and white?

Rough …or smooth? Matt …or shiny?

How have African Masks have influenced other artists & designers?

...a painting by Pablo Picasso before he saw African masks - ‘Family of Saltimbanques’ 1905

And after he saw some African Masks...‘Les Demoiselles D’Avignon’ 1907

Do you think he was influenced by them? He said not!

The influence of African Masks on other artists and designers

EvaluationDid you achieve the Learning Objectives?

1. To learn about African Masks: their KEY CHARACTERISTICS, their traditional uses and their influence on other artists and designers

2. To DESIGN and MAKE your own IMAGINATIVE work inspired by African masks

3. To INVESTIGATE and ANALYSE masks from Africa and other places independently

4. To EXPLORE and EXPERIMENT with ideas, materials, tools and techniques

5. To REFLECT and EVALUATE your own and others’ work