Masks
Introduction
In this unit, you will
- Research masks.
- Choose a mask that interests you.
- Learn about that mask and the culture or person that made it.
- Make a mask of your own as an interpretation of the mask you studied.
Class Mask Critique
Let's look at a mask by the Kuba people, Democratic Republic of the Congo held in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago.
A picture of a colubus monkey from the American Wildlife Federation.
Information on the Kuba kingdom from the Metropolitan Museum of Art
A picture of a colubus monkey from the American Wildlife Federation.
Information on the Kuba kingdom from the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Research
Click on the sites below to research masks and mask project for inspiration. Your goal is to identify a mask that interests you.
Research Real Masks
- American Museum of Natural History: Division of Anthropology
- Tropenmuseum: Mask collection (change to English)
- Hahoe Mask Museum, Korea
- The British Museum, UK
- On-line gallery of African Art Museum
- University of Missouri's Museum of Anthropology: Masks Around the World
- de Young Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
- The University of Arizona/Arizona State Museum
- The Art of the African Mask from the Bayly Art Museum, University of Virginia
- African Mask Symbolism at essortment.com (Scroll down to read.)
- Ritual, Masks and Sacrifice
- Information on How to Look at African Art
- Masks from the Edward S. Curtis Collection at the Library of Congress
- Some information about Noh Masks and the illusion of facial expression
- A picture gallery of masks from Bolivia
- African Mosaic: Masks from the Smithsonian Museum
- Mexican Masks
- Mexican Masks
- Mexican Tiger Mask
- Changing Tide Creations - Northwest Coast Indian Art Gallery
- Masks from Around the World, a gallery of masks for sale
- A website on Noh Masks
For Fun, but not research....
Project Ideas
- High School Mask Lesson Ideas from The Incredible Art Department
Assignments
- Watch Masks from Many Cultures. Listen for the following three things:
- Culture and Purposes (Who made the mask? Why?)
- Materials (What do people use to make masks?)
- Spot and describe a mask that intrigues you.
- Learn some sculpture terms.
- Mask Research
- Venn Diagram
- Watch the mask making video