What role do masks play in Africa?
African masks should be seen as part of a ceremonial costume. They are used in religious and social events to represent the spirits of ancestors or to control the good and evil forces in the community.
What are three types of masks created in Africa?
The three types are face masks, helmet masks, and body and belly masks. Face masks are commonly used today as products used to make the face more healthy. Helmet masks are fit over the head and are often carved from a tree trunk. Body and belly masks were made to cover the upper half of your body.
What are African masks called?
A good example of an abstract design for an African mask is a round face mask called a Baule goli mask, made by a culture that called themselves the Baule. They live in parts of Ghana and the Ivory Coast. These masks, adorned with horns that symbolize power and strength, are used for a specific type of dance.
What do the colors on African masks mean?
Red- Life & blood; Gold- Fortune; Blue- Innocence; Green- The earth and Africa as the mother country; Black- The Unity of the people of Africa -show their understandings of one selected African mask – Brainstorm ideas for creating their own personal masks. – Create their own African inspired art mask.
Who made the first African mask?
Eric Herold estimates these images to have been created by nomadic herdsmen possibly between 3500 and 1500 B.C. (World 9). However, some scholars believe, as Segy has reported, that masks of animal heads were used by Paleolithic man at least 35,000 years ago (Black 44).
What does a black mask symbolize?
Black Masquerade Masks can symbolize many personality traits including elegance, authority, dignity, sophistication, mystery, and seduction….
Why does black mask wear a mask?
Black Mask is revealed to have been the leader of a gang called the False Facers Society who wore masks of the same wood that his own mask was carved from giving him direct control of their minds and letting him operate the gang like fingers of a glove.
What does the Bauta mask represent?
A feature of the Bauta is that it conceals the identity but enables the wearer to talk and eat or drink easily. It tends to be the main type of mask worn during the Carnival. It was used also on many other occasions as a device for hiding the wearer’s identity and social status.
Who traditionally wore the Bauta mask?
The birdlike mask actually was not worn by carnival goers; instead it originated in the 17th century by French physician Charles de Lorme and was worn by plague doctors to protect them from airborne diseases.
Who traditionally wore the Moretta mask?
The moretta mask, reserved exclusively for women, was a Venetian mask that was round and covered with black velvet. Also known as the ‘muta’, it perfectly concealed the features of the wearer’s face and was very common in Venice in the 18th century.
What are mask makers called?
skeuopoios
Who made the first face mask?
Louis Pasteur
What are surgical mask materials?
Surgical face masks are made with non-woven fabric, which has better bacteria filtration and air permeability while remaining less slippery than woven cloth. The material most commonly used to make them is polypropylene, either 20 or 25 grams per square meter (gsm) in density.
What are Greek masks made of?
The masks were most likely made out of light weight, organic materials like stiffened linen, leather, wood, or cork, with the wig consisting of human or animal hair. Due to the visual restrictions imposed by these masks, it was imperative that the actors hear in order to orient and balance themselves.
Why did Greek performers wear masks?
Masks served several important purposes in Ancient Greek theater: their exaggerated expressions helped define the characters the actors were playing; they allowed actors to play more than one role (or gender); they helped audience members in the distant seats see and, by projecting sound somewhat like a small megaphone …
How many Greek masks survived?
There are no surviving masks that were actually worn from Ancient Greek Theater. This is due in part to the fact that they were made from perishable material such as “stiffened linen or wood” (MAE). We do have some remaining terracotta examples, which were not worn, but would have been dedicated to temples.
Which cultures have used or still use masks in Theatre?
The comedy/tragedy masks, symbolic of drama, originated with ancient Greek theatre. The tradition of theatre masks goes back to the ancient Greeks, who used masks both for practical needs and dramatic heft. Masks are used in commedia dell’arte, Japanese theatre and have a long history in African culture as well.
What are the two masks in theater called?
In a historical sense, there are two names for each mask. The name Melpomene represents the tragedy mask or Muse of Tragedy and the name Thalia represents the comedy mask or Muse of Comedy. Melpo is the shorter name for Melpomene, meaning a celebration of dance and song….
What are the rules of mask work in drama?
► Masks must always face the audience – a mask is a character; we do not want to break the illusion by seeing the side of the mask. ► Never break the line between the mask and the audience – there is an imaginary line between the mask and the audience, e.g. do not put hand in front of mask.
What does the two face mask mean?
The two masks associated with drama represent the traditional generic division between comedy and tragedy. They are symbols of the ancient Greek Muses, Thalia and Melpomene. Thalia was the Muse of comedy (the laughing face), while Melpomene was the Muse of tragedy (the weeping face).
What Theatre companies use masks?
Companies like the Trestle Theatre Company and Vamos Theatre also use mask work.