Eileen M. DeMaio
African sculpture and masks were always made with a specific purpose and function for the culture in which they were created. African masks represent ancestors, spiritual figures, animals, and mythological characters. They were used in ceremonies like initiations, hunting and agricultural festivals, and fertility and funeral rites. Masks were worn as an integral part of these ceremonies. The mask was used to conceal the identity of a participant or a dancer. It was either attached to a dancer’s head by a wickerwork cap or fringed with raffia in order to cover the body of the wearer. “Religion is an integral part of the traditional Africans’ lives, inseparable from the events of each day. Sculpture in the form of masks and figures was used to invoke the presence of ancestors and gods in the ceremonies and dances. These masks, figures and other ritual objects are not just temporary abodes for the spirits. The sculptures are links between man and the realm of the supernatural, possessing awesome powers of their own.”
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We know that masks were made to be seen in motion as part of a dance or ceremony, so when we introduce these artworks to our students we must explain this concept and try to help them imagine what the original observers of the ceremony may have been seeing.
Masks were made of many different materials. The most common was wood; that is why there are not many existing examples of masks that date back into ancient times. In addition to wood, African masks can include other materials like raffia and other fibers, ivory, bone, metalwork, hides, and cloth.
Strategy for Teaching This Unit
By participating in this unit, students in grades three through five will be exposed to the sculpture and stories of three African cultures. They will read and listen to the stories and then participate in many different arts activities. The three cultures are from West Africa: the Bambara of Mali, the Yoruba of southwestern Nigeria, and the Ashanti of Ghana. I have limited my choice of cultures to West Africa because that is the source of most of the African sculpture at the Yale Art Gallery .
Unit Objectives:
In addition to studying folktales and sculpture, students will be encouraged to express their
own
ideas through the use of visual arts, drama, dance, and creative writing. Students will:
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1) Listen to
and
read folktales from many African cultures. They will look for similarities and differences among the stories.
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2) At the museum, recognize a mask or other piece of sculpture that they have seen. They will talk about the piece by revealing some details in the form, craftsmanship, or origin. The student may choose to tell a story about the character portrayed in the piece.
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3) Write their own folktale or create a new ending to a folktale they have heard.
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4) Create their own artwork using techniques and images borrowed from African art.
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5 ) Dramatize their folktale in front of their classmates. They may create a dance or play to tell their story, and either way will need to create masks, costumes, and other props to use in the production.
Procedure:
The unit will take eight weeks or longer to implement and will be broken down into sixty minute lessons as follows:
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week 1—The study of sculpture from two West African cultures, the Yoruba and the Bambara, that was inspired by a myth or folktale. Students will listen to the tales and view slides of the artwork that they will be seeing at the Yale Art Gallery.
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week 2—Students will listen to and read on their own some explanatory tales of West Africa. They will be introduced to Anansi, a trickster character from the Ashanti. They will be given the opportunity to illustrate some of these tales.
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week 3—A trip to the Yale Art Gallery to view the African collection. Students will participate in a gallery search to find certain subjects or characteristics in the artwork.
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weeks 4 and 5—Visual art lesson on mask making. Using many different art materials, students will create their own characters in mask form.
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week 6—Students will write their own versions of African tales. They may create their own characters based on the masks they created or build upon some characters they have already encountered in West African tales.
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week 7 and 8—Each student will read their individual stories to the class and then as a group choose three or four to bring to life in short plays or through movement and dance. Students will work in small groups to create the plays and dances and all the costumes and props needed to dramatize their stories.