The History of the Mask

It is clear that masks play a very important role both culturally and spiritually in African cultures. Masks are used in many contexts, such as spirituality, culture and education. Their esoteric meaning and uses, however, are reserved only for the initiated, and very few people outside of the African traditional societies have seen or know of a real mask. All masks that people see in museums, galleries, or collections are copies; none are authentic masks that are used for spiritual ceremonies. Additionally, a great number of these masks have virtually no spiritual value, as they are mere creations of the artist who has made them and not a complete duplication of an authentic mask.