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Gambia's Ritual Wooden Masks |
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Symbolic Meaning:
 Gambian masks represent a distinct symbolic
attribute and cultural significance
depending on the ethnic tribal group who uses it and it plays and
important role in certain tribal ceremonies, harvest time and rites of passage. This
is true of many mask ceremonies in Africa.
As in many other African societies they play a much lesser role in
Gambian daily life especially with the advent of Islam & Christianity
which forbids idol worship. Many tribes attach a
symbolic meaning to masks and furthermore ascribe supernatural, magical
powers to many of them as representing a spirit or deity such as the
Dogon Tribe of Mali. These are
not the wooden carved masks sold by sculptors in tourist craft markets
in Senegambia, for which not much
spiritual value is placed,  but are the types reserved for purely
ceremonial purposes which rarely go on sale. They are passed down from
generation to generation. They are
used in various rites of passage such as circumcision and marriages as
well as representing a form of ancestral worship in
local Gambian villages.
Some masks represent
animistic fetishes such as the
Jola's Jalang
which is supposed to have magical powers which can alter future
events. Sometimes a shrine is constructed for them and they would be
consulted like an oracle over important decisions about the villages
affairs. Such works are normally made by particular castes of people
belonging to certain tribes and their very grotesque nature represents
no value except the spititual significance meaning.
Where to Find Them:
 Such creations can be found at
at most tourist craft stalls but to find real variety you should try either
the Brikama woodcarvers Market, Albert Market in
Banjul,
Bakau or the
craft shops
along Sayer Jobe Avenue in Serrekunda. There are also a number of
shops selling genuine antique wood masks as well at other ritual
objects such as the African Living Art Centre in
Fajara. The
tribal
group who specialise in wooden crafts are the Sowe, Lobeh, Janha, Sarr
and Njie families whose works can be seen at Brikama.
Ritual Uses of Masks:
 One of the rites of passage ceremony for Mandingo boys in The Gambia, West
Africa, ends with the young men wearing the wooden carved masks of the
elements they would like to be imbued with when they become fully
grown adults. It is the very three dimensional way the mask is made
and its various textured forms that indicate what kind of supernatural
spirit occupies it. In Africa there are different kinds of masks with
different values placed on each one such as the birth mask or the one
that indicates the coming harvest. Historically they were also worn by
some warriors to protect them in time of battle against any physical
harm from spears and arrows. Chiefs would use them when passing new
laws and regulations as such was the respect people had for them they
would obey. They also served the purpose of reminding people of their
rules of society as well as acting as a spiritual arbiter in cases
involving village disputes.
Beliefs:
There are some who are of
the belief that masks are made by spirits who wish to occupy them.
Such is the power that it holds on certain societies that sometimes
only men may look upon them and sometimes only the person who carved
them. They are often worn by a performer who is held by their power
while performed a masked dance. However, such are their uses that they can be created for
entertainment and anybody can view them. The older and more damaged
the mask the less it is valued as a symbol as it is believed that the
spirit would move on to find another host and these are the artifacts
to be found on display in museums around the world.
Types Worn:
Apart from the face
masks there are also types worn around the waist and down to the feet.
They can often be made having a combination of human and animal
characteristics in order to connect the power of the animal concerned
with the human world.
How Wooden Masks are Made:
One
single piece of unblemished wood is used which is then left out in the
open to cure. It could be hardwood or rosewood. Work begins as the log
is rough shaped using an axe then its features are defined using a
chisel and finally it is smoothed using sandpaper. In some methods the
final step is to apply several coats of varnish, plant pigmentation or
powder from burnt wood.
Such symbols are
not only made of wood but also can include animal hides, wood, plant
fibres and people's hair in order to connect the spirits to the human
world.
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