 o.php?video_id=63928&title=African_Ma sks o.php?video_id=63928&title=African_Ma sks  While watching the video, think about the characteristics of the masks.

 Standards:  Articulate ideas and themes from diverse cultures  Understand and apply media in processes in 3D art  Classify and discuss non-Western art

. Masks vary widely in their realism or abstraction, their use of symbols, and their ornamentation. The making of masks is a primary artistic outlet in many cultures Masks from Africa, Oceania, and the Native American cultures of North America are highly prized by art collectors. (Native American) African

1. Ritual - The function of the masks may be magical or religious; they may appear in rites of passage or as a make-up for a form of theatre. Masks may disguise a penitent or preside over important ceremonies; they may help mediate with spirits, or offer a protective role to the society who utilize their powers Types of Masks

 Protective- used during war. Japanese

 Theatrical- mask were worn in theater productions in ancient times because the plays were often performed in large outdoor amphitheaters, it was difficult to see the details of the actor's face. The mask would help the audience see the intended emotion of the actor.

 Fertility  Death and rebirth  Times of illness  Times of famine  Celebrations Beautiful Ancestress Mask Chokwe peoples, Zaire and Angola

 jaw of a crocodile  face of a human  horns of an antelope  curved tail of a chameleon  Today, these masks are most often seen performing for entertainment

 Symmetrical  Natural Colors  Animal Features  Geometric Abstraction

 The High Museum African Art Collection  Click Here Click Here  Slide Show of masks  Click Here Click Here

 Use geometric shapes and repeating patterns  They should be symmetrical  Use natural colors (red, brown, black, yellow, and white)

 Exaggerated features helped characters be recognizable at a distance  Only men were aloud to act so it not only allowed them to play different characters but masks allowed men to play women’s roles as well