red

By Abdul Aziz Mohamadu, this handsome mask takes the shape of a bird. "The Wangara people of Mali use this mask during the Moo – wangara, which celebrates a bumper harvest," he explains. "The festival is to hoot at the hunger that they once experienced. The people are very joyous on this occasion because they recount the bad times when they had to go hungry. Looking at their present state of plenty, there is a lot to be happy about."

A monkey centers the headdress of this beautiful African mask, and the personage wears large earrings. Hand carved and painted, the sese wood image is crafted by Ghana's Salihu Ibrahim. It represents the Fulani people who have settled in Mali. Although believed to have West African origins, the Fula are also present throughout Central Africa and Sudanese North Africa. "We Africans tend to adopt certain cultural practices that we believe are good ones, and customs are also shared through inter-cultural marriage," Ibrahim explains. "Among Mali-dwelling Fulani, comb masks are given to a woman as a marriage proposal. She responds by giving a Senufo monkey mask to her suitor as a sign of acceptance. Because the monkey is known to be a happy animal, this mask reflects her happiness in saying yes."

A comb centers the headdress of this beautiful African mask, and the personage wears large earrings. Hand carved and painted, the sese wood image is crafted by Ghana's Salihu Ibrahim. It represents the Fulani people who have settled in Mali. Although thought to have West African origins, the Fula are also present throughout Central Africa and Sudanese North Africa. "We Africans tend to adopt certain cultural practices that we believe are good ones, and customs are also shared through inter-cultural marriage," Ibrahim explains. "Among Mali-dwelling Fulani, such masks are given to a woman as a marriage proposal. She responds by giving a Senufo monkey mask to her suitor as a sign of acceptance."

Perched atop an elongated mask coated in white clay, a bird leans down to caress its forehead. Salihu Ibrahim carves the piece by hand in the style of the Senufo people of Mali and the northern Cote d'Ivoire. "Masks like this are worn by hunters before setting out to hunt," he says. "It is believed the wearing of the mask gives good luck as white is a lucky color." The red pigments are achieved by grinding a red stone, while charcoal provides the black accents.