Ahoofe Mask of the Fulani Tribe
The Fulani are an ethnic group of people who can be found mainly in Ghana,
West Africa, but also in Central Africa and the Sudan.
The Fulani carve beauty masks, as they believe that their women are the most
beautiful in all of West Africa. This is one of those masks. It is called the
“Ahoofe" mask which in the Akan language of Ghana means beautiful.
These striking masks are hand carved and decorated with plates made of brass
and other soft metals. The mask symbolically protects the feminine beauty of
their tribe and the metal plates are used to shield and protect parts of the face
from sand and windstorms.
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