Q:  Please take a look at my photos and let me know what exactly this is. Thank you so much. I just collect all kinds. I really like the vintage masks.  Debbie, 1797 A:  I think it is a recently made fake mask meant to sell for a lot of money. It has been carefully carved, accessorized and aged… a beautiful piece of decorative art that reminds one of the Dan culture in Ivory Coast and Liberia. Let’s hope it gets a nice home. However, only authentic masks should sell for a lot of money. Carefully made reproductions should sell for less. When artistic originality is introduced, the price…

The Igbo crest mask of the middle Cross River region in Southern Nigeria has an extremely rich and diverse masking tradition that embodies the spirits of tribal ancestors.  The mask projects expressive facial features with white pigment, sensitive eyes, aquiline nose, open mouth showing teeth and an elaborate hairstyle that is one of the most artistic I have seen. Crest masks share stylistic forms of neighboring tribal groups such as the Idoma, Ijo, Isoko, Ibibio and Ekoi.   They were danced in ceremonies for fertility, to cure illness, and at funerals.  

I noticed this mask from Zambia on the internet recently. Over the years I’ve posted at least 6 Chewa masks, and they’ve always been much different from each other. The Chewa prefer this to replicating traditional designs as most tribes do. You can access our 6 on the homepage by typing in the word “chewa” and scrolling down. A member of a Bantu-speaking people of Malawi in Zambia, they can be found in Mozambique and Zimbabwe as well.  One key aspect of their traditional religion that has survived colonial and Christian prohibition is the all-male Nyau secret society, which performs traditional rites of passage. Masquerade is practiced a lot, and…

  Q:  My father acquired this mask in the early 1940’s. He was in the Navy or working for Pan Am in Liberia. It was WWII. This helmet mask is made from wood 16 1/2 inches tall and the bottom opening is an oval 7 1/2 by 9 1/4 inches. My recollection is that he took it from a dwelling at some risk to himself. I believe it was worn in connection with a woman’s coming of age ceremony/ritual/retreat. My father died in 1995, and I offered to return the mask by contacting a Liberian embassy. They did not reply.  Joanne, 1793 A: You have one of the most collectible…

The Chewa people in Malawi, SE Africa, make my favorite masks. They are very creative and have a sense of humor. Even better, they are constantly practicing masquerade, which means authentic masks are readily available at affordable prices. You can see and read about five other Chewas on this site. On our front page (1) hit the magnifying glass icon, (2) type “chewa” and (3) hit Enter. Unfortunately, I don’t own the Elvis Presley mask. It’s in the Brooklyn Museum. Malawi is a country rich in the different cultures of its diverse population. One of the most unique and interesting cultural events that attracts a lot of interest from tourists…