Behind the mask – the Meaning of Masquerade in West Africa

As told to Lucy Waterson by Kevin Dumouchelle, curator at the National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.

Face mask, late 19th century, unknown Bété artist. National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution

Apollo magazine interviewed me for an 'Object in Focus' discussion around a mask by a Bété artist from Côte d'Ivoire in the museum's long-term collection galleries, Visionary: Viewpoints on Africa's Arts. 

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The mask has an unnatural quality – the pronounced
brow, gaping mouth and piercing eyes staring right at you are designed to grab your attention and give the sense that the mask represents a force that is greater than oneself.