African Masks, Himalayan Masks, Indonesian Masks & Sculpture

We specialize in beautiful tribal masks including African Masks, Indonesian masks, Himalayan masks, Wood mask, West African masks.

We personally travel the world to bring you West African Masks from Ghana and the Ivory Coast. We travel to Nepal to bring home Himalayan masks featuring Tibetan and Nepalese designs. We travel to Bali to bring you Indonesian masks and Balinese masks.

Lotus Masks is a small company committed to bringing a larger market to the artisans of Africa, Nepal and Indonesia. We connect the art of rural villages with the world by personally traveling to Asia to buy directly from the village artisans. We are committed to bringing you the finest mask carvings available in the world along with quality & personalized service.

Lotus Masks also carries beautiful tribal statues from West Africa and Indonesia.

Come explore the beauty of tribal art at Lotus Masks!

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Types of masks

In order to bring some sort of order into the variety of African masks, it is perhaps helpful to classify them in terms of a number of basic types. At this point only their physical characteristics will be taken as distinguishing traits. Based on the form of the main part of the mask, six types may be distinguished:

1.Face masks - Possibly the most common type, occur almost everywhere in Africa where masks are used.

2. Helmet masks - Carved out of a section of tree trunk and hollowed to fit over the wearer's entire head. In some regions - as with the Mende in Sierra Leone and the Suku in the Democratic Republic of Congo - it appears to be the sole form of mask.

3. Helmet crests - This type differs from the helmet mask in that it does not cover the wearer's entire head, but is worn like a cap, leaving the face free. Helmet crests are a type commonly used by the Kwifon association in the Grasslands of Cameroon and by the Gelede Association of Yoruba, in southern Nigeria.

4. Cap crests or forehead masks - Like the face mask, this type consists only of a half-face. But it is worm horizontally, stabilized on the wearer's head by a circular ridge. In the case of anthropomorphic varieties (such as those of the Cameroon Grasslands), the wearer bends forward and lowers his head to direct the mask's gaze towards the spectators. In the case of zoomorphic forehead and helmet crests, this stopping posture is unnecessary. Both this and the previously mentioned form leave the wearer's face free; to complete the masquerade, his face is concealed with a piece of cloth, a translucent veil, or some similar material.

5. Headdress masks - These consist of representations of human or animal heads or figures, rising above a small base that rest on top of the wearer's head. Examples are found in the art of various ethnic groups in the area of the Cross River in Nigeria, and among the Bamana in Mali.

6. Shoulder masks - These are large, very heavy busts designed to rest on the wearer's shoulder's, with a small opening or peepholes to see through. In literature, the characteristic mask form of the Waja (Nigeria) and the Baga (Guinea) is often described as a shoulder mask. This may involve a misunderstanding, because the hollow of these masks in not large enough to receive the dancer’s upper body. They probably represent a special variety of headdress mask.

History of African Masks

In Africa, masks can be traced back to well past Paleolithic times. These art objects were, and are still made of various materials, included are leather, metal, fabric and various types of wood.

African masks are considered amongst the finest creations in the art world and are highly sought after by art collectors. Many of the pieces some replica's, can be viewed in museums and art galleries in many parts of the world. Masking ceremonies in Africa have great cultural and traditional significance. Latest developments and understanding of Aesthetic principles, religious and ceremonial values, have brought about a greater insight into the ideas and moral values that African artists express in their art.

During celebrations, initiations, crop harvesting, war preparation, peace and trouble times, African masks are worn by a chosen or initiated dancer. It can be worn in three different ways: vertically covering the face: as helmets, encasing the entire head, and as crest, resting upon the head, which was commonly covered by material as part of the disguise. African masks often represent a spirit and it is strongly believed that the spirit of the ancestors possesses the wearer.

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Ritual ceremonies generally depict deities, spirits of ancestors, mythological beings, good and or evil, the dead, animal spirits, and other beings believed to have power over humanity. Masks of human ancestors or totem ancestors (beings or animals to which a clan or family traces its ancestry) are often objects of family pride; when they are regarded as the dwelling of the spirit they represent, the masks may be honored with ceremonies and gifts.

During the mask ceremony the dancer goes into deep trance, and during this state of mind he "communicate" with his ancestors. A wise man or translator sometimes accompanies the wearer of the mask during the ritual. The dancer brings forth messages of wisdom from his ancestors. Often the messages are grunted utterances and the translator will accurately decipher the meaning of the message. Rituals and ceremonies are always accompanied with song, dance and music, played with traditional African musical instruments.

For thousands of years, rituals and ceremonies was and to a lesser extent is still an integral part of African life. The gradual, effects of parceled out territories to Colonial governments, and the ensuing damage to traditional economies followed by the displacement of huge quantities of people, by colonialism, resulted in economies and food production systems being wrecked. In general the vast number of people have lost some of its tribal identity and culture, hence masking ceremonies are no longer common place in Africa.

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Lotus Masks, African Masks, Indonesian Masks, Himalayan Masks