Annotated Bibliographies

http://www.anymask.com/historyofmask.html, "Reproduced with permission from the Encyclopedia Britannica at www.britannica.com (1998-2000)

-This website was the most informative. It provided me with information about the cultural beliefs of the creators of the masks. "The items used to form the masks must have a certain meaning to the creator, whether it is of culture or their own belief." It was said that if the creation was accepted by the spirit, then the mask was able to obtain the spirit's power.

www.arthistoryguide.com/African_masks.aspx

-This website provided me with information about how the masks were represented. "The use of the African masks were typically represented through a special song, prayer, or dance" Through these celebrations and rituals, the person wearing the mask was either chosen by someone

Blackman Visona et al, Monica. "A History of Art in Africa" en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_art (2001)
http://www.mask-and-more-mask.com/african-masks-history.html

-Visona et al Blackman provided information about the sculpting of the masks. In order for the mask to have been complete, the artist must have shown "emphasis on the human figure, the visual abstraction, as well as, emphasis on the sculpture." After the creation, the mask will contain the person's personal traits and a spirit's power.

Mullen, Sharon L. "A West African Ceremonial Object" www.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/1985/6/85.06.06.x.html (1985)

-Sharon L. Mullen helped provide information about the personalities of the masks. "Although a wearer can be seen as an ordinary person, once he places his mask on, he can be known by many people as the "king of their society." The masks, also, provided a hierarchy for some African cultures.

http://rebirth.co.za/African_mask_history_and_meaning.htm

-This website provided me with information of the masks and how they were used to communicate with the dead. It was said that "the wearers, which in most cases are the dancers, goes into a stage where it is possible to communicate with their ancestors. As a result from going through this process, the wearer has now obtained the power of the spirit."