hand carved animals

Fiery guardian of your home and gentle caretaker of your family, the buffalo spirit arrives from distant Balinese lands to infuse your spaces with divine protection. Artisan Gio uses albesia wood to create this magnificent wall mask painted in vibrant hues to exude exotic and majestic beauty.

Sefah Mohammed finds protection in the Coclotsu ("rooster") mask of the Vume people from Ghana's Volta Region. "They believe that as the rooster wouldn't sit back and watch the hawk catch the chicks, so will the mask protect them. The mask is worn or displayed throughout the year for protection," explains Mohammed. He carves the sese wood mask by hand and adorns it with glittering recycled glass beads and embossed aluminum.

This replica mask of powerful beauty is known as kwifibe by the Songye people of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Distinguished by its black and white stripes, the mask is believed to embody supernatural forces that will ward off evil. To the Songye, the use of white on the mask symbolizes positive concepts such as purity and peace, the moon and light. Ghana's Christopher Nyasafo carves the wall mask by hand featuring a bird looking downward.

A bird poses on the forehead of this imposing mask by Abdul Aziz Mohamadu. He names it Sahafi, a Hausa word meaning "spiritual protection." Strong African rubberwood contours are carved and painted by hand, while applications of white clay give the piece a vintage appearance. "The mask is used by the Hausa people of Mali," Mohamadu explains. "It is used when their crops bear fruit. It is believed that the mask drives away birds that come to destroy their crops."