Wednesday, June 01, 2011

Kwele Ekuk Mask #1594 - For African Art Gallery

Kwele Ekuk Mask #1594 - For African Art Gallery

Ekuk means both “protective forest spirit” and “children of beete.” It displays a flat surface and often has a whitened heart-shaped face, a triangular nose, coffee-bean eyes and small or non-existent mouth. This mask, with two large horns, represents the antelope. The faces are usually painted in white kaolin earth, a pigment associated by the Kwele with light and clarity, the two essential factors in the fight against evil.

No comments: