Who are the big masked men around the emperor?

African traditional crafts: mask woodcarving of black tribes

Bambara woodcarving

Bambara people are the largest tribe in Mali, and they are all over the country except in desert areas. They are a brave and intelligent tribe, sticking to their traditional religions and customs. Their woodcarving statues are characterized by prominent faces, sharp lips, drooping hair ornaments and stiff and powerful gestures. A statue named "Segu" has an aquiline nose from head to forehead and a slender cylindrical body; Semicircular breasts, carved in the lower part of the chest; The arms droop naturally, the hands are wide, the claws or palms are open, the frog mouth is prominent, and the hairstyle is unique. And rarely painted with color, but with extra decorations and metal nails, some embedded in shells or beads for eyes, nose and ears are also tied with delicate copper rings. The Chivala antelope coat of arms in Bambara is very famous. Antelope is a symbol of Bambara people, and local young men and women like to decorate themselves with this ornament on festive occasions. People in Bambara often carve wood with antelope as the theme, but they don't always repeat it, but combine it with figures and other animal images to show it in different forms. In the upper reaches of the Niger River, there is a horizontal antelope mask. It is characterized by its two corners bending upward and outward, and its mouth is very big, as if shouting; There is a beautiful radian on the back, engraved with carvings representing antelope fur; Smooth surface and symmetrical pattern; Antelope legs are represented by zigzag lines. In some villages in Buguni, the horizontal antelope mask was replaced by the vertical Suguni mask. This composition is an ancient form and a mask worn in antelope dance. In this kind of composition, the antelope mane is herringbone, and there are some animal images (lizards, horses, young antelopes) on the trunk of the antelope, and a woman image is often carved on the top.

Multi-craftsman woodcarving

The Dogon people are agricultural tribes in the Walter Valley. They migrated from the south hundreds of years ago and settled in the south of Timbuktu. Its wood carving art, like the Dogon people, has a unique personality. The oldest carved portrait is called Telum, which was made about 200 years ago. This is a portrait of raising the arm, often combined with animal sculpture, and its image can be seen on sacrificial vessels, stools and wooden troughs. The characteristics of this statue are: the wood is as hard as stone, mostly gray or reddish, vivid and beautiful, and extremely expressive. Some portraits have male and female characteristics: bearded faces, protruding breasts, protruding umbilical cord, bent back, protruding hip lines and sudden fracture, mostly kneeling or sitting, some wearing jewelry, some holding axes, and some holding children. The more modern statues of Dogon people tend to be geometric in composition, which has a solemn and quiet feeling. It is characterized by the obvious carving surface, the carving lines are mostly at right angles, the body and limbs are cut like gems, the umbilical cord is pyramid-shaped, the head is often semi-circular and cut off at the lower part of the forehead, the eyes and mouth are triangular or square, the ears are semi-circular pendants, the nose is straight as an arrow, some are wearing beads, and some put two figures side by side on a base. Dogon people also have masks, which are handled in a delicate, bold and general way. It is characterized by its slender shape, sometimes rectangular shape, the sunken cheeks are obviously separated from the bridge of the nose, the bridge of the nose is rectangular or herringbone, rich in decoration, the mouth is like a convex cone, and the face modeling is mixed with animal images. The Dogon people also have a multi-layer mask with a hollowed-out carved top, which is 5 meters high. Kanaga mask is a circular mask with a "■" pattern, with an ancestor statue on it. There are different interpretations of the meaning of this figure. Some people think it is a symbol of bird hunting; Others think it is a symbol of the crocodile myth of the Dogon people. There are more than 80 kinds of Dogon faces, all of which are used for dance decoration.

Senuf woodcarving

Mrs. Senu is an agricultural tribe in the volta river Valley, who has settled in northern Ivory Coast and parts of Burkina Faso and Mali. They have always maintained the beliefs and customs of their ancestors. Their sculptures can be roughly divided into five categories: Debru Statue. The body and limbs are slender and cylindrical and placed on a narrow base. Sometimes the head is small and the neck is slender. This kind of statue is used in the ceremony of offering sacrifices to the shrine. Degele mask. A helmet-like mask for funerals at night. There is an abstract portrait on it, without arms. The composition is symmetrical and neat, and the facial expression is solemn and quiet. Statue works. The form is concise and full of vitality. Protruding body parts (head, breast, umbilical cord, etc.). ) form a sense of rhythm. Hair accessories have pendants to cover the forehead, prominent cheeks, round breasts, abdomen protruding forward at the umbilical cord, slender hips, and sometimes exaggerated hands and feet like animal claws. Shoulders lean back, bend back and have a sense of balance. Portraits include standing portraits, sitting portraits and riding portraits. At the funeral, the statue is placed on a covered sacrificial plate, and sometimes it is decorated on daily necessities such as chairs or cream plates. When young farmers hold farm work competitions, they will put statues in the fields. Carving of birds. Birds are the symbol of the Senuf tribe. The carving form is very simple. They are often carved into wings. Sometimes, the image of a bird is put on a mask as decoration. Fire breathing beast mask. This mask is used for religious ceremonies. In the middle of the mask, around the eyes and nose, there are various animal images, such as wild boar, marsupial, buffalo, antelope, crocodile, ape, crane, eagle or lizard.

Baha woodcarving

Baha 'is migrated to Guinea from the birthplace of Niger River. The carving style has something to do with Bambara people. Features: simple shape, big head, pointed aquiline nose, novel hairstyle; The head leans forward and is supported by two hands-free arms; Huge body, barrel-shaped, some with tight waist and short and thick legs. All classes of Baha 'is have corresponding masks. Wear it during harvest season or funeral. For example, Nimba's shoulder shield is huge, weighing more than 60 kilograms, and there are four brackets at the lower part to be placed on the shoulders of the wearer. The smooth surface of this mask is in sharp contrast with carved lines, fishbone patterns and other patterns. There are also some copper nails as decorations to form a sense of balance and harmony. There is also a 2-meter-high Banda color mask, which represents the higher class of Baha 'is.

Wood carvings of Bole people and Guluo people

Bole people live in the Gulf of Guinea and are one of the largest tribes in Ivory Coast. Bole people lived together with Guluo people and Mrs. Senu who lived here and established a powerful kingdom. Both Bole people and Gulo people have contributed to the art of Ivory Coast. The carving art of Bole people and Gulo people is very distinctive. If we think that African art is crude in style and primitive in form, we will come to the opposite conclusion after seeing the culture and art of Bole people and Gulo people. Sculpture was used by Bowers and Gurus to make statues of their ancestors and gods. When they create objects, they always create with a realistic attitude. While following the traditional habits, they don't give up the typical depiction of the characters' personalities, so the characters they create are distinctive. Bow hat statues are solemn, mostly standing or sitting; Put your hand on your chest or touch your beard; The legs are thick and plump, and the knees are slightly turned inward; The body is slender and round, engraved with obvious decorative tattoos; The carved surface is polished and shiny and coated with oil. The statue of Guluo people is compact, humorous and finely carved. The masks of the Baule people are also beautiful and moving, and their facial expressions are quiet and quaint. Exquisite breasts, clear eyelashes, clear eyes, decorative tattoos on smooth foreheads, wavy hair and curved contours of the face all prove the superb artistic skills of bowlers.

Ashanti woodcarving

Ashanti people live along the Gulf of Guinea, and their wood carving art is very exquisite. For example, the statue of Akuta is a small woodcarving commonly used in national customs. This statue is worn by a woman on a waist cloth to show that she can have beautiful children. Ashanti people don't worship the idols of their ancestors, but they admire the theocracy of the golden stool. "Golden stool" is a kind of wooden stool, some of which are inlaid with gold leaves. The basic style of this stool was constantly changing, and later it was inlaid with gold and silver sheets. The legs of stools and portrait stools are carved with hollow works.

Woodcarving in Yoruba

The Yoruba people are one of the larger ethnic groups in Africa. Most of them settled in a vast area of southwest Nigeria, and went deep into Dahomey (now Benin), Togo and Ghana. This nation is not only influenced by Mediterranean and oriental art, but also inherits excellent national traditions. Most of the woodcarvings they create are symbolic representations of objects. The colorful statues, decorated with beads and the collocation of human and animal images are the main characteristics of this art. The types of wood carvings of the Yoruba people include: statues of kings, nobles and chiefs, statues on thrones, carved columns on both sides of the entrance of temples and galleries, statues on carved altars, and various kinds of wood and carved utensils. The statue is characterized by plump lips protruding forward, big eyes, round pupils, clear eyebrows and eyelashes, and huge drooping breasts. Yoruba people have their own masks and wear them according to certain religious ceremonies. There are two kinds of respectable faces: gliding mask, hemispherical, worn on the head or diagonally buckled on the forehead. The forehead is upturned, the hair accessories are complicated, the eyes are big and the expression is rich. Ipa mask, barrel cover shape, worn on the whole head. Some are carved into double-sided heads, with wide mouths and prominent eyes, and a huge colorful ornament stands overhead.

Yiboren woodcarving

Igbo people live in the southeast of Nigeria and the east of Niger River Delta, and make a living by farming. Their mask works include white-faced women and black-faced men, with portraits carved, slender bodies and necks and short heads.

Bapende woodcarving

The Bapendel people live between the Cuango, Luyi and Inziya rivers in western Zaire. Their masks are novel in form and harmonious in composition. They are characterized by curved eyelashes, drooping eyelids, prominent foreheads, prominent cheekbones, thin chin, slightly upturned nose and exposed nostrils.

Bakuba woodcarving

Bakuba people live between Kasai River and its tributary Sangkuru River in Zaire. The carving art is rich and colorful, and 19 statues of kings are preserved, all of which are symbols of their special achievements, such as sitting cross-legged and wearing swords. Bakuba people usually use the following masks: Bumbo mask. A big wooden helmet mask with copper leaves outside, with a protruding forehead, and a wide nose and a triangular mouth connected by a vertical line, which is worn at club ceremonies. Masambo mask. This surface has a rattan frame covered with palm leaves and decorated with sewn appendages such as shells, beads and leather blocks. Only the nose, mouth and ears are carved with wood. Parents used to wear it to force their wives to obey his leadership. Now dancers wear it to perform in the market. Ash-Malula mask. This kind of mask is colorful and beautiful, and the decoration is varied and colorful. The eyes are carved into a cone with many small holes around them.

Baluba woodcarving

Baluba people live in southeastern Zaire, as far away as Tanzania and Lake Mweru. Their statues have no rough and grotesque shapes and melancholy contents, and are characterized by complex hair ornaments, cross-shaped or wavy, obvious boundaries between hair and forehead, almond-shaped eyes, small ears, tattoos carved on the body and bright surfaces. The most common works of female images are land gods, and the male images are mainly tribal heroes. Every chief has a magnificent statue. A female image called "beggar" is more expressive. Pregnant women often put this statue in front of their house before giving birth, and passers-by put gifts there, so that women can avoid life difficulties caused by not working during childbirth. In the customs and habits of Baluba people, masks do not play such an important role as statues. But they also carved some vivid masks. For example, Kiefer Weber's mask is hemispherical, engraved with grooves, and the grooves are painted white. Wear this mask when appointing important chiefs and visiting senior officials.