The Dallas Museum of Art / DMA has given us an opportunity to see amazing examples of masks that were created for all sorts of reasons. I love the “art” of masks. Art may not be the reason for their creation, but “art” certainly can be the result.
“The African mask is a highly developed and enduring art form. African Masks: The Art of Disguise, an exhibition of approximately fifty objects from the Museum’s collections and on loan from local collectors, will reveal the function, meaning, and aesthetics of African masks. Masks serve as supports for the spirit of deities, ancestors and culture heroes, which may be personified as a human, animal, or composite. Masked performances, which are held on the occasions of thanksgiving celebrations, rites of passage, and funerals, often entertain while they teach moral lessons. This exhibition will present a variety of masks from several different sub-Saharan peoples that offer a variety of types, styles, sizes, and materials and the contexts in which they appear.”
“African Masks: The Art of Disguise” – Dallas Museum of Art
1717 North Harwood, Dallas, Texas
(Images: Four-faced helmet mask (ñgontang), Gabon, Ogooué River and Woleu-Ntem Province, Fang peoples, Betsi or Ntumu group, 1920–40 and Helmet mask (gye), Côte d’Ivoire, Guro peoples, mid-20th century, wood, paint, and sheet metal)
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