"Masks cannot be put on or taken off in public, since putting on a mask turns a person into a spirit, and lends him supernatural qualities."
-Masked Rituals of the Afikpo
"A mask is oneself, the realization of the inner spirit, and a mask is the 'other': person, animal, god...
A mask is a link with what we cannot otherwise touch: the spirit of the god, the dead, the other.
A mask is the instrument of metamorphosis, a way to reach the powers to which it appeals; the wearer is the channel to the god, then becomes the channel through which its response is passed to the members of the tribe."
-Behind the Mask: Bari Rolfe
Hamill Gallery of African Art
National Museum of African Art
1 comment:
god i love this mask. one of my bosses has a bunch of masks and drawings of masks in his office. some have paranah teeth in their mouths. its wild. both my bosses collect ancient maps too. i want photos of them to post.
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