TODAY:

1
TODAY

• Mr. Hardin will be giving a PowerPoint
  presentation on your next project.MASKS!
• Take notes.it is for a daily grade and it will
  help you with your project.
• Also in your notes, please write down the name of
  your 3 favorite masks and some information/facts
  about each one and how you can relate or connect
  with them.

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Masking Our Fears

• A History of Masks From Around the World

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Definition of a Mask

• A mask is an artifact normally worn on the face,
  typically for protection, concealment,
  performance, or amusement. Masks have been used
  since antiquity for both ceremonial and practical
  purposes. They are usually, but not always, worn
  on the face, although they may also be positioned
  for effect elsewhere on the wearer's head.

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• Ritual masks occur throughout the world, and
  although they tend to share many characteristics,
  highly distinctive forms have developed. 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. Equally 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

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• Masks From Different Cultures
• Africa
• Asia
• Europe
• North America
• South and Central America

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African Masks

• Gre Warrior Mask
• This mask was used to preside over
  ceremonies held after armed conflicts it was
  also used as a judge during disputes.
  Traditionally, gre masks were also worn to
  prepare men for war the masks offered magical
  protection by instilling fear and terror in
  potential enemies. Nowadays, it is worn for a
  variety of ceremonies, including ent-ertainment
  dances.

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Mgbedike Mask

• Masks such as this are distinguished by their
  large size and bold, exaggerated features,
  including an open, snaggle-toothed mouth. Their
  purpose is to oppose the maiden spirit mask,
  which represents a beautiful, marriageable girl.

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'La Plume' Feather Spirit Masks

• Historically used in Do society initiation
  rituals, Bwa masks represent the spirits of
  nature that influence human beings. Wishing to
  control these forces and enlist their help
  against the powers of destruction, Bwa masks make
  the spirits visible, and thus open to
  communication.

9
Mwana Pwo Mask

• This mask, known as pwo, represents the ideal of
  womanhood and female beauty, and is used to
  bestow fertility.

10
Asian Masks

• Noh Masks In Japan masks belong
  to a highly developed theatrical tradition. Its
  purpose used to be strictly religious but this
  has long since changed. Of all the Japanese masks
  the Noh mask is said to be the most artistic one.

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Noh Mask-Japan

• The masks used in Noh theatre generally show a
  neutral expression so it is up to the skill of
  the actor to bring the mask to life through his
  acting. The parts are all acted by men, so the
  task of performing as a young woman is one of the
  most challenging for any actor. The masks are
  comparatively small and they only cover the front
  of the face having only small holes for eyes,
  nostrils and mouth.

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Di Opera Masks-China

• Ornate, hand-painted wooden masks are used in
  traditional Chinese opera to reenact myths and
  legends. This mask depicts a dedicated officer
  who guarded a Tang dynasty emperor's bedroom
  chamber against evil spirits.

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Chinese Hand-Carved Wooden Joy Mask

• The character on the masks forehead is the
  Chinese word for "joy"

14
Indian Himalayan Masks

• Hindu Festival Mask
• The shape and construction of this mask is
  that of a typical festival mask. However, it
  represents a mythic character with a split
  personality.

15
Mahakala Mask

• Whether it is to protect village crops from
  hailstone damage or the victory of Padmasambhava
  over hurtful deities, the Mahakala character is
  ever present in ceremonies throughout the
  Himalayan region. His third eye expresses the
  wisdom of omniscience. The five skulls signify
  victory over the five emotional obscurations.
  These masks are used to defeat evil spirits and,
  when not being used for a ceremony, are hung on
  the walls of Tibetan homes.

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European Masks

• Harlot Mask- Germany
• Fasching, also called Carnival, was an
  annual festival very much like the Madi Gras and
  has been celebrated since the 13th century in
  many German cities and villages.
• Below the dark eye shadow the masks eyelids
  are blue sequins and long lashes of fine copper
  wire. There are eye openings in the mask hidden
  behind the lashes and vision is surprisingly
  good, plus openings in the mask below the nose
  for breathing and at the mouth. The masks huge
  pink lips in combination with the seductive eye
  treatment surely suggest a harlot.

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Folk Mask

• Romanians used masks in rituals concerned with
  fertility, rainfall, hunting, and for initiations
  in ancient times. Today they are still used to
  represent characters from folk mythology at
  special holidays such as Christmas and New Years,
  or for an important life events like a wedding or
  a death. Only men wear them. It is forbidden to
  say the name of the person under the mask.

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Romanian Folk Mask

• An authentic folk mask made by Nicolae Popa for
  the traditional Christmas/New Year celebration
  that is still popular in many rural villages.
  This rather large mask covers the entire head.

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North American Masks

• Iroquois Blower or Whistler Mask
• The Blower Mask is part of the Iroquois False
  Face Society of the longhouse religion. The
  Iroquois lived in longhouses along what is now
  called the Hudson River Valley. The eyes of the
  mask are made of copper to reflect the light of
  the fire.

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Frog Mask

• The Haida held a set of beliefs about the way the
  human world interacted with the natural and
  supernatural worlds. Among the Haida the masks
  were used mostly by members of the secret
  societies. Secret societies frequently used masks
  to represent wild spirits or animals of the woods
  like the frog.

21
Laughing Mask

• In the mythology of the Kwakwakawakw people, the
  Dzunukwa, or Cannibal Woman, is a dangerous
  monster. Twice the normal height, with a black,
  hairy body and sagging breasts, she lurks in the
  forest and eats children. The Cannibal Woman is
  represented by a mask such as the one shown here,
  worn by a dancer during a Winter Ceremony. This
  frightening character is also associated with
  riches, and, according to legend, men who could
  tame her would bring back great treasure.

22
South and Central America

• Tigre Mask- Mexico
• Throughout Mexico one finds dances about
  fearsome man-eating tigres (jaguars), which may
  be holdovers from before the Spanish conquest. In
  preColumbian traditions these dances had the
  purpose of petitioning the jaguar god, the lord
  of all animals, so that he would permit
  successful hunting for the villagers.

23
Tocotines Moor Mask

• From the area of Jalapa, this unique mask is used
  for la danza del Tocotines, a variant of the
  Dance of the Christians and Moors. Painted in
  red, white, with silver or black eyebrows and
  mustaches, these are among the most distinctive
  masks of Mexico.

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Ajiz Mask-Guatemala

• Ajiz is an ancient character, a kind of shaman or
  medicine man, who is a character in the Conquest
  and other dances, but can also be seen as a
  religious icon.

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Devil Mask-Bolivia

• The devil mask captures the essence of the Oruro
  Carnival. The devil or Supay represents the
  Andean pre-conquest underworld figure that was
  lord of the hills and transmogrified by the
  Christians as the Devil.

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Bolivian Moreno Mask

• After the conquest, black slaves were imported
  for heavy work in Bolivia. The Morenada depicts
  these "Ethiopians" with a cast of characters
  including workers, women, a captain, and a king.
  It is part of the festival of the "Senor del Gran
  Poder" held in La Paz each year.

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What do you think?

• Which masks are most appealing to you? Why do you
  feel this way? What is interesting about them?
• What are the purposes of the cultural masks we
  have seen? What are they used for?
• What are different masks that you can think of in
  American culture today?
• What do these masks represent?
• Are there any similarities between American masks
  today and masks from different cultures in the
  past?

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The End!

• Please work for the rest of class on sketching
  images you would like on your mask and thinking
  of what each piece represents.