mask

Table of Contents

Introduction
General characteristics
- The making of masks
- The wearing of masks
- The role of the spectator
- Meaning and aesthetic response
- Preservation and collecting
The functions and forms of masks
- Social and religious uses
- Funerary and commemorative uses
- Therapeutic uses
- Festive uses
- Theatrical uses

References & Edit History Related Topics

Images & Videos

maiden spirit mask

Kuskokwim Yupiit mask

mask representing the mwanapwo

Observe the Dogon dancers of Mali performing wearing Kanaga masks

secret society mask

For Students

Discover

Bar graph of the United States Death Toll during major events. Infogram chart.

U.S. Death Toll During Major Events

airplane in flight (plane, aircraft, flying)

7 Puzzling Plane Disappearances

Calendar marking march 15th

22 Questions About Time and Timekeeping Answered

African Americans demonstrating for voting rights in front of the White House as police and others watch, March 12, 1965. One sign reads, "We demand the right to vote everywhere." Voting Rights Act, civil rights.

Timeline of the American Civil Rights Movement

A mug shot taken by the regional Colombia control agency in Medellin

Pablo Escobar: 8 Interesting Facts About the King of Cocaine

Hindu Holi Festival celebrations with colored water, powder and colorful flower petals thrown over celebrants at a Hindu temple in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, India on March 24, 2021.

Holi: Festival of Colors

The Colosseum, Rome, Italy. Giant amphitheatre built in Rome under the Flavian emperors. (ancient architecture; architectural ruins)

New Seven Wonders of the World

mask: Related Content

Written and fact-checked by The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Photos and Videos

maiden spirit mask

Kuskokwim Yupiit mask

mask representing the mwanapwo

secret society mask

Sepik River ancestor mask

Observe the Dogon dancers of Mali performing wearing Kanaga masks

See All Videos and Images →

Topics

life mask taotie admonitory mask disciplinary mask festival mask therapeutic mask war mask animal mask ancestor mask theriomorphic mask hat crown coif snood zucchetto biretta

Key People

Benda, Wladyslaw T.: recruiting poster

Wladyslaw Theodor Benda

American painter