A VIEW OF WEST AFRICAN MASKS

Abstract

The mask in West Africa is viewed as a sign with three aspects: expression, content and meaning. Expression is the part of the sign realized in some material. Content is the aspect of the sign which contains the signified concept. Meaning can be defined as a process, as an act relating the signifier to the concept signified. Meaning is shaped in religious practice. The mask as a complex sign plays a significant role in rituals. In religious practice the mask appears as a medium between the world of the living and the ancestors of whom the community expects assistance and protection. The mask has an important religious function in the West-Africa but also a significant social role, as community established closer links during the preparation and conduction of collective rites.