Dialogue by Mark:

Zaire is a huge African country in the middle of the rain forest, and today's KidsArt Master's Gallery pieces were made in Zaire years ago.

Art is really important in traditional African culture. Artists are highly respected people. The things they make are used and saved for a very long time. One very famous kind of art in Africa is masks, like this ancestor spirit mask made nearly 100 years ago.

Most of us think of masks that are disguises or a game at Halloween, but in Africa masks are an important part of history and ceremony. Traditional masks symbolize the spirits of animals and people. Masks are worn by dancers during celebrations, sometimes by chiefs and rulers when they make laws, and even by teachers as they tell young people about their history and traditions. Can you imagine your teacher putting on this mask for your next social studies lesson?

The ancestor spirit mask was made out of solid wood. Some of the designs are carved right into the wood, like the texture next to the mouth. Other designs are painted on, like the stripes.

Kim even sent us a bonus famous artwork today...another mask from Zaire. What an incredible abstract sculpture this is! Do you think it's a person...or an animal spirit? Maybe it's a gorilla!

You can find our more about African masks and sculptures in books at your library, or searching on the Internet, or in museums. These masks are from the Cleveland Museum of Art.