MAAWOCU’s Permanent Collection
Yaka Initiation Mask Yaka People DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO (DRC)
The most crucial event in the Yaka ceremony is the initiation of young boys into adulthood. Circumcision and initiation, mandatory for all young men, are held in remote areas. Typically, the masks are only worn once.
Bembe Ceremonial Mask Bembe People DRC
The eastern Bembe people's traditional masks and headdresses are recognizable for their concave, cupped orbits around the bulging "coffee-bean" eyes. The mask consists of feathers, animal skin, and wood.
Ceremonial Mask With Beard Dan People IVORY COAST, LIBERIA
There are regional variations among the masks of the Dan people who live in the western part of the Ivory Coast and Eastern Liberia. Masks are characterized by a concave face, a pointed chin, a protruding mouth, an upturned nose, and a high-domed forehead.
hemba Female Statute Hemba People DRC
A wooden figure in celebration of a female ancestor.
Terra Cotta Vessel – Woman With Hips Mangbetu People DRC
The Mangbetu people believe that the gods are pleased with an elongated skull with a flattened forehead. Babies’ heads were tightly wrapped with a cloth at birth to create an elongated look. The circular formations on the vessel represent hips.
Fetish Power Figure Protector Of The Village Songye People DRC
The power figure is used to protect the village from evil forces and disease. The power of the figure depends on the ingredients contained in the horn set into the head or concealed in the abdominal cavity.
Warrior Mask The Wobe Guerre/We People IVORY COAST, LIBERIA
The Guerre people traditionally live in the Ivory Coast. The mask is often grimacing and fierce-looking. Animal, human, and metal materials, such as teeth, nails, shells, brass balls, feathers, hair, hide, and horns may be used.
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Female Secret Society Mask Mende People SIERRA LEONE, LIBERIA, IVORY COAST
While most African masks are danced by men in traditional ceremonies, the Bundu mask in the Sande secret society is the only mask danced exclusively by women. The Sande is the guardian of women, their protector and guide throughout life.
Masks With Cowrie Shells Dan People IVORY COAST, LIBERIA
Dan masks are sacred objects. They are used for protection and as a channel to the spirit world.
Maiden Spirit Mask Punu People GABON
The Puno maiden spirit mask symbolizes the spirit of an ancestor when danced in funeral performances. This mask is worn by male dancers standing high on stilts during funerary ceremonies.
Female Pwo Mask Chokwe People DRC, ANGOLA
The Mwana Pwo mask represents a female ancestor but is always worn by a male dancer. It symbolizes the prominent role of women in Chokwe society. This mask also often features beautification marks, such as scarification and intricate hairstyle.
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Pwo Mask 2 Chokwe People DRC, ANGOLA
The Chokwe use three types of ceremonial masks. There are sacred masks, initiation masks (made of fibers), and dance masks. The dance mask includes a female mask (Pwo) and her male counterpart (Cihongo), symbolizing power. The Pwo mask is a representation of the ideal mother and woman.
Luluwa Ceremonial Mask Luluwa (Lulua) People DRC, ANGOLA
The ceremonial mask is worn to represent ancestors' spirits or control the forces of good and evil. It is also used for circumcision rites, funerals, and masquerades in secret societies. The mask is identified by distinctive geometric scarification patterns on the face with enlarged eyes, and the pointed forms on the top of the head represent the Luluwa hairstyle. After use, the mask is usually discarded.
Dan Ceremonial Mask Dan People IVORY COAST, LIBERIA
The Dan masks are used for protection and as a channel for communication with the spirit world. The Dan people believe that their world is split into two domains: the human domain represented by the village and its people, and the spiritual domain represented by the forest and its spirits.
Monkey Masks Bamileke/Bulu People CAMEROON/GABON
The chimpanzee or monkey mask, which shares half human and half chimpanzee features, is a breathtaking ceremonial mask from the Bulu tribe. A chimpanzee is a sacred animal admired for its cleverness, humor, and survival skills.
Warrior Mask Salampasu People DRC
Salampasu people are fierce warriors, a highly privileged honor in its society. The fiercely expressive mask's primary function was to protect the village. It is characterized by a bulging forehead, almond-shaped eyes, a triangular nose, and a rectangular mouth displaying an intimidating jagged set of teeth.
Makunda Initiation Mask Makunda/Suku/Yaka People DRC
The Makunda ritual mask, found among the Yaka and Suku, is the large and terrifying Kakuungu used to frighten young initiates into obedience and instill respect for elders. The oldest and most sacred of all Yaka and Suku masks, the Kakuungu mask is believed to represent the founding fathers and is a protector of the young boys during the initiation process.
Bachum Wooden Head Crest Bachum People CAMEROON
The head crest is called Bachum, named after the area located in the northwest Bamileke grassland area of Cameroon. It is considered one of the masterpieces of African art. The crest is worn on the head and is part of a secret society.
Yegue - Bamileke Bachum People CAMEROON
The Yegue mask is from the Ku’ngang secret society of the Bamileke people in Cameroon. It consists of a natural fiber hood covered in cowrie shells and topped with horns and long hair braids at the back.
Oba Ife King Bronze Ife People BENIN CITY, NIGERIA
The bronze statue was created to honor the King and decorate the royal palace. Benin bronzes were used as a historical record to document life in the thriving Benin kingdom, located in the tropical forests, now South-Central Nigeria. They show the evolution of the empire's second dynasty, which is believed to have begun in the 13th century and continues to this day.
Palace Pot Bamileke People CAMEROON
The wooden pot is used as a guard and sits by the King’s throne. It is also used to keep village traditions alive. There is a storage area when the top is removed. Inside, the village's King keeps his jewelry and other important items.
Senufo Fertility Figure Senufo People IVORY COAST
The four-faced statue represents a mother nursing an infant on four sides. The sculpture is used to honor women and their maternal role in ceremonies and festivals of the Tyekpa society, a social association among the Senufo peoples.
Chibinda Ilunga Statute Chokwe People DRC, ANGOLA
The striking statue represents the hero of the Chokwe People, King Chibinda Ilunga. According to historic Chokwe legend, the statue honors Ilunga, the son of a great Luba chief, who taught the people the art of hunting. The figure wears elaborate headgear with rolled-up side flaps that signifies his royal position.
Epa Mask Yoruba People NIGERIA
This is a ceremonial mask worn by the Yoruba people in Nigeria during the Epa masquerade. Carvings representing priests, hunters, farmers, kings, and mothers are usually depicted on the masks.
Woman With Child Bangwa People CAMEROON
The Bangwa people are one of the many smaller ethnic groups within the Bamileke people in Cameroon. Women are responsible for planting and harvesting the crops.
Baoule Couple Baoule People IVORY COAST, WEST AFRICA
The Baule people live in the Ivory Coast (Cote d'Ivoire). The female/male figures embody the Baule ideals of beauty. In Baule society, diviners commission such figures from artists to attract the attention of natural spirits.
Fertility Figure Chokwe People DRC, ANGOLA
African tribal legends believe that African fertility statues, when touched before by a female, will lead to pregnancy.
Dancer With Mask on Face Senufo People IVORY COAST
Senufo people are world-famous carvers of wood sculpture, mainly masks and figures. The statue is a dancer wearing a Senufo mask.
Guerre Warthog Warrior Mask Bete/Wobe/We People IVORY COAST
The warrior mask is made of wood with spikes, horns, cowrie shells, and a raffia beard.
Guere (Guerre) Warrior Masks Dan Mask IVORY COAST, LIBERIA
The mask creates an image of power. Many masks are made with a combination of diverse materials such as bulging or multiple eyes, wooden leopard teeth, rifle casings, warthog tusks, animal hair, and horns. The idea is to form a fierce-looking force that frightens away evil or negative forces