ABC Lesson 2: The Elephant Society Mask
Bamileke, Africa, Central Africa (Cameroon)
ELEPHANT SOCIETY MASK
late 19th century, ca. 1875-1899
Raffia, canvas embroidered with beads
Memphis Brooks Museum of Art
Gift of the Director's Council 97.2.1
regal l
Summary:
In Lesson 2, students will explore the African art collection at the Memphis Brooks
Museum of Art. The Elephant Society Mask will be discussed as a symbol of pride, worn
by the Kuosi society during special ceremonies to celebrate the wealth, intelligence, and
strength of the Bamileke kingship. In the studio, students will use model magic, beads,
and other supplies to create a mask that symbolizes something they are proud of about
themselves. Last, students will write a diamante that explains their mask and what it
means.
Suggested TN Visual Art Standards:
Standard 1: The student will understand and apply media, techniques, and processes.
Standard 3: The student will choose and evaluate a range of subject matter, symbols,
and ideas.
Standard 6: The students will make connections between visual arts and other
disciplines.
Vocabulary:
Continent:
a principal land mass of the earth including North America, South
America, Australia, Antarctica, Africa, Asia, and Europe.
Country:
a nation with its own government such as the United States of
America, Italy, or Egypt.
Cultural group:
a group of people that share a history, language, and culture.
Africa has many different cultural groups.
African Mask:
a covering worn on the face. In Africa, masks are created for a
variety of reasons including religious ceremonies, protection,
celebration, and death. In a traditional African setting, masks are
meant to be worn and danced rather than hung on a wall.
Symbol:
a color, animal, shape, or design that stands for something else.
For example, a lion is symbol of courage.
Hybrid:
a combination of two different things that result in a new thing.
Ex) bat + man+ batman
Diamante:
a diamond shaped poem.
Noun:
a person, place, or thing. Ex.) girl, city, dog
Verb:
a word that conveys action. Ex.) talking, golfing, running, snacking
Adjective:
a word that describes a noun. Ex.) hungry, bold, cold, interesting
Information about the Elephant Society Mask:
In the Bamileke kingdom, members of an important men’s association called Kuosi still
wear beaded masks representing the royal elephant, which is a symbol of wealth and
power. Formerly a warrior society that served to protect the king, today the Kuosi are
made up of high-ranking, wealthy men of power in the community. The Kuosi society
stages dramatic masquerades at major palace festivals and royal funerals that support
the power of the king and the wealth of the kingdom.
Elephant masks have long flaps of fabric that hang over the chest and back and large
round ears that frame the face duplicating the appearance of an elephant. Extravagant
headdresses covered with red feathers may be attached to the masks, and a leopard
pelt also may be worn with the mask.
Symbolism:
The geometric shapes and designs on the elephant mask suggest a wealth of
information to the Bamileke observer. The Bamileke people have created a complex
system of visual imagery to express narratives of their history and culture. Over time,
many of these symbols have become more and more abstract to the point that a simple
diagonal line or circle can represent a complex moral or meaning. Bamileke children are
taught, from an early ag,e to understand the information that the symbols describe, and
these images are incorporated into many objects of Bamileke art.
Elephant
wealth, strength, power, intelligence, fon (king)
Beads
rare, imported, wealth
Round pouches on head
contain special herbs and other substances, represent
(spiritual) power.
Mask covers face
secret society. Members are anonymous.
Black
represents the connection between the living and the
dead
the color of the ancestors and different magical
substances
the symbol of life, women, as well as the institution of
regal leadership
White
Red
Dominant
triangle design
represents leopard pelt which is also a symbol
of royal power.
Website:
-a great teacher resource with a lot of relevant information about an Elephant Society
mask at the Dallas Museum of Art.
.
http://dmaconnect.org/CONNECT/print/dmacon_elephant_mask?id=5045849#q
Pre-visit activities:
*Please complete these activities before your ABC visit.
1. Review terms: Noun, Adjective, and Verb ending in –ing,
2. Ask students to write a practice diamante in their inspiration journals.
(The journals we handed out at during ABC Lesson1)
Discussion Questions:
What is a mask? What does a mask do? Name some activities that we wear
masks for. Name some words that would describe those masks. How does it feel
to wear a mask?
Complete this poem:
Mask
Adjective, Adjective
Verb, Verb, Verb
Noun, Noun, Noun, Noun
Verb, Verb, Verb
Adjective, Adjective
Noun
3. Review Chaperone Guidelines with chaperones and Museum Manners with students.
4. FILL OUT TOUR CONFIRMATION FORM.
Post-visit activities:
1. Give students time to share their work with the class. Students can present their
artworks and poems together.
3. Ask students to create a collage about their visit to the Brooks using the Elephant
Society Mask postcard and other paper materials. Ask student to incorporate words that
describe their experience into the collage. You can use scrap paper, junk mail, old books,
newspapers, or magazines for this activity.
4. Please email [email protected] with feedback about this lesson.
Map of Africa