This pair of Ashanti Sese wood masks, traditionally used in ancestral rites, depicts two striking male and female visages. The masks can either serve as an abode for the spirit of the deceased or as memorials to those who have passed on. In many present-day Ashanti homes, traditional masks no longer retain their religious significance. Elsewhere, ritual offerings and petitions are made to both types of carving in the belief that the spirit of the dead will come to the aid of the living. The carved figures are not worshiped in either case; they merely act as intermediaries through which the spirits of the ancestors are contacted in the Ashanti kingdom. The works are carved from sese wood, coated with a dark tan polish, and given a coat of wax for protection.
Language: English
