Animal Hunting mask

The masks are one of the elements in African art and culture that most influenced Western culture. They vary greatly from one culture to another, though almost all have spiritual traits. Whether representing an animal, an ancestor or a feminine figure, the maker of the mask has a special consideration within the tribe, considered to be in direct contact with the spiritual world. In African culture there is a difference between the outer look and the essence, and it is precisely this essence that is captured by the mask maker. Not everyone can wear a mask, only the chosen ones because of the strength it requires. The mask with the form of an animal represents the spirit of that animal. Sometimes they were used before the hunting, during a ceremony to give the hunters good luck, others it was a way of communicating directly with that animal, as it is believed that those who wear the animal mask actually transform into the animal itself.