clothing

Natural raffia fibers adorn a traditional creation by Ayoma Alhassan from Ghana. Fascinated by the country's culture, the artisan puts all his creativity into an African dried calabash mask hand-painted in a palette of warm hues. Furthermore, the piece has brass accents, creating a classic vibe.

Bright shades of yellow and green adorn this African mask by artisan Abdul Aziz Mohamadu of Ghana. The mask is hand-crafted out of rubberwood and wears a melancholy expression. Thus, the artisan names the mask Asempa, which means "good news" in the Akan language.

Floral motifs adorn a smiling yellow squirrel, crafted and painted by hand. By Jose Canil Ramos, this mask is used in the Dance of the Deer, which celebrates a successful hunt. The music is performed by a marimba and the different characters in the story are identified by the dancer's mask. The ears are disassembled for shipping.

Symmetrical features in golden ochre are accented with red, white and black. By Abdul Aziz Mohamadu, the youthful mask receives applications of brass repoussé on each cheek. "This mask is representative of the Bare people of Kano State in Nigeria," he explains. "Boys wear these masks during their initiation rites into adulthood." The artisan names this piece Olu Ku, meaning "Growing Up" in the Hausa language.

Robert Nortey celebrates the customs of the Dagomba people with this bright sese wood mask. Originating from northern Ghana, the Dagomba people wear this dance mask when consulting their gods for a good harvest. The dance is characterized by gaiety and gracefulness, where dignity exudes from controlled movements. Nortey carves the mask by hand from sese wood and adorns it with an ornate brass plate. The Dagomba people refer to it as the "Bamaya" dance mask, meaning "Harvest."