Red And Yellow African Mask – DPCM 12202

Traditional African masks play an important role in certain traditional African rituals and ceremonies. Some masks represent the spirits of deceased ancestors. Others symbolize totem animals, creatures important to a certain family or group. This red and yellow mask is great for hall room decoration.

As the product is handmade, it might have slight irregularities of shape and colour which is a natural outcome of human involvement.

Chhau masks are often huge in size but not heavy since the performers wear them during the show. The clay molds are first hand-made and dried in the sun known as ‘mati gora’. They are then layered with powdered ashes. Masks could also represent the shaman’s spiritual helpers, which he would try to influence in times of need. Sometimes hung in houses to ward off harmful spirits, masks were also occasionally placed with the dead or used in non-spiritual contexts for popular entertainment. Chau masks are made from paper pulp, cloth, and clay and undergo many interim processes before taking the final form. First, a clay model of a mask is made and dried in direct sunlight to make it hard. It is then covered with powdered ash and layers of papers moistened with gum are pasted on this powdered mask.