Description

This is an unpainted mask from the Maasai Tribe of Kenya and Tanzania. This mask has the typical features of a Maasai mask including the earlobe stretching, a practice carried out by most Maasai. This mask was probably made for the tourist market and not worn in cultural ceremonies. In Maasai culture, masks are traditionally worn in the ceremonies of celebrations, initiations, crop harvests, and war preparations. The masks often represented the spirits of mythological beings, animals, or spirits.