Module 10

I think these videos really showed the different ways cultures in the past approached art and creativity, just by the simple act of carving and crafting masks for different purposes. Some of them were very ornate and detailed and had lots of materials added to them like feathers and raffia where some other cultures were more focused on actually carving the masks. The ones I thought were most interesting were by the Bundu/Sande people, the helmet masks were carved by men and worn by women during the females initiation ceremonies. The Mende people also crafted VERY beautiful masks, theyre detailed and ornate and the facial features are all carved with purpose. Though some cultures created masks to honor women or a spirit, some also used them as a way to mourn the dead or for funerary rites, and some of them just for entertainment. The portrait masks that the Moya Yanso people made were especially detailed, and made to represent specific individuals.