Mask

Makonde artist

1960s

Terracotta, human hair, wax

Minneapolis Institute of Art

A carved wooden mask depicts a human face with large ears, an open mouth, and textured patterns on the forehead and cheeks. “Open your ears!” (shitengamatu) is the phrase the Makonde use to describe this clay mask. Created by a woman for an all-female dance group, it’s one of the rare types of African masks both made and worn by women. Eyebrows and a beard of human hair make it appear more realistic, and indeed it has large, open ears. The command to open them was aimed at young women who had finished their coming-of-age rituals and were about to re-enter society, which is when the mask was danced. Listen to the elder women, they were told, and use their guidance and advice to navigate the new world of adulthood. Gallery G254 The Mary Ruth Weisel Endowme