For centuries, the tribal people of sub-Saharan and Western Africa have designed and worn distinctive facial masks for ritual and ceremonial purposes. Unlike common perceptions in the West, Africa is not a monolithic area with a singular cultural tradition. There are very many language groups dotted throughout the continent and each has developed their own ceremonial mask designs. There are however some common aspects found across the continent.

Studies have shown that the abstract art that was a major feature of the twentieth century Europe drew heavily from designs and patterns found on African ritual masks. Works of art by iconic artists like Pablo Picasso and Andre Derain have profound influences borrowed from Africa. While these designs and abstract art is admired in museums, this was not how they were originally meant. Each mask was designed with regard to deep magical beliefs and practices.

Each one of the masks was never meant to be worn on its own. Each one was always part of a ceremonial costume that could only be donned by medicine men and other principal figures of African traditional societies. The costumes represented the communities' conception of the spirits of the ancestors and the people believed they had powers to control good and evil forces.

Moreover, an African mask is impotent unless when it is won as part of the dances and traditional rituals it was made for. This is when the wearer is possessed of the spirit that inspired the design and carving. A good number of them are carved from wood but are embellished with a number of animal features such as hairs and feathers to represent the community's natural ties to the earth and its abundance.

African tribal artists seldom ever try to reproduce the actual representation of the people or objects they are depicting. As such, their creations are more representative of some abstract qualities such as beauty, nobility, courage and even humor. Their works have idealistic expressions, with features they want to emphasize on made to be larger than life and the rest much more subdued.

When it comes to traditional African tribal masks, one thing you can be certain of getting is variety. They come in all shapes from oval, circular to heart shaped. They also combine human features with those of animals in a way that is nothing short of ingenious. The carvings and embellishments bring out a sense of virility, strength and mysticism.