great gifts

With downcast eyes, a solemn visage radiates empathy and understanding. Ornate plates of embossed brass add to the beauty of this Ghanaian mask by Daniel Nyadedzor. Named Sennu, or "Sympathy" in the Hausa language, it is a gift to a person who has experienced a great misfortune.

Wearing yellow caps, a man and a woman swear to love and honor each other in this pair of masks by Abdulai Osman Adam. He carves each sese wood mask by hand, giving long braids to the woman and a beard to the man. They both are adorned with a giraffe on their forehead. In his original design, Adam adorns the groom's chest with a pair of doves as a symbol of love and fidelity. In Ghana, a pair of doves is often released by a newly wedded couple as a sign of their commitment, love and fidelity to each other. "A giraffe symbolizes having great aspirations, reaching for the stars and knowing your gifts will take you on the journey of a lifetime while honoring what is important to you," explains the Ghanaian artisan.

The masks are designed to hang on the wall or to stand on a surface.

Go bold with graphic patterns and hints of glossy green and yellow. Eliasu Adams expertly balances earthy brown sese wood with the brightly colored recycled glass beads on his beaded bracelet. Crafted with durable elastic cord, the bracelet slips on easily for those mornings on the go.

Rita Addo Zakour designs earrings of great ethnic beauty. Sporting vibrant cherry red and shiny black agates, the earrings are crafted by hand with round and flat beads of sese wood. The earrings are worn on shiny brass hooks.

Ghana's Kobina Asmah brings forth a heart-shaped African mask that radiates love through its elegant black and white palette. Meticulously hand-carved from sese wood and expertly painted with great attention to detail, this exceptional artwork stands firmly on a resilient steel base. Intended for tabletops, this mesmerizing design ignites the imagination, leaving a lasting impression.

Okomfo is a word that means “priest” or “spiritual herbalist” in the Ghanaian Akan language. It is also the name of this extraordinary mask meticulously hand-carved from sese wood and exquisitely painted by hand in a palette of black, blue, white, red and yellow. Filled with cultural significance, this splendid design by Kobina Asmah is a great addition to your home décor.

A colorful diamond motif adorns her forehead and embossed aluminum appears on her skirt. By Rita Addo Zakour, this sculpture depicts an Ashanti fertility doll. In West African society women place great importance on childbearing, and a married woman without children is sometimes shunned. Parents give such a doll to the newly married daughter, as its presence in the house is believed to have special powers. When worn by young married girls in a carrying cloth on the back, these dolls are reputed to ensure they will have children. The artisan names this doll Dzigbordi, which means "patience" in the Ewe language.

Named Ofono – an Adamgbe word meaning "pouring of libation" – this colorful mask invites celebration. Sefah Mohammed carves and paints the piece by hand, adding textures with white clay and applying embossed aluminum to the forehead. "Such masks are used by the Ga-Adamgbe people from Greater Accra a week before the annual Asafotufian Festival to seek a good celebration. This normally takes place during the first week of August," Mohammed says.