Answer to Question 1
Responses will vary depending on the selection of artwork. Yoruba kings are regarded as sacred and art serves to dramatize their exceptional nature. Sculpture, royal robes, and crowns are highly decorated with abstracted figures and animals. Beaded bird heads form the pinnacle of the crowns, which refer to female ancestors from whom the king draws power. Sculptural male and female figures represent broad-based strength and ritual generation of new life. Gender roles are also the subject of Dogon sculpture. Figures are abstracted, which suggests that the work represents spirits and ideas, not specific people. There is a fundamental unity, but placement and gestures represent symbolic concepts.
Answer to Question 2
African masquerades range from sacred and secret performances to public spectacles that verge on secular entertainment. White man masks depicting European government officers began to appear during the early 20th century when colonial rule was imposed over the continent. In an Igbo community, a white man is portrayed with a pith helmet, notepad, and pen, suggesting a scholar who is doing important research on them. Today, when tourism helps support many masquerades, masks depicting tourists often appear armed with a carved wooden camera. Europeans are not the only outsiders depicted. Most outside characters are portrayed satirically, providing comic relief in a masquerade where serious masks perform.
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