African American Studies-Introduction to the Art of Africa Essay - 1

African American Studies-Introduction to the Art of Africa - Essay ExampleThe different forms signified different statuses of women in the society as good as their creative aspects.Young women who were being initiated into womanhood wore the masks in the initiation ceremonies (Foster 1). They showed that the young girls had courage and tendency to take up female responsibilities in the society. After initiation, each girl would be given a unique mask made from the trunk of a cotton tree. The maker of the mask would only go to make the, mask for a girl after hearing screams from the girl undergoing the initiation process.There were particular requirements that the initiates had to fulfill while wearing the mask. They were not supposed to reveal any of their body parts. Failure to hold fast would attract possession by the evil spirits. The cover clothing was supposed to be black in color.It is clear that the Sowei masks served the purposes of beautification and conduction of ritua ls. They were reserved for Sande and Bundu societies. They helped distinguish the Mende women from other tribes in the