The African mask is not an objet d'art in itself, but neither is it a simple cultural or theatrical accessory. At the same time, the sculptor is not an "artist", but his function goes much further than that of a simple craftsman. The majority of the pieces on display radiate a beauty and strength which were admired by Braque, Picasso or Vlaminck, and the sculptors can only be considered as geniuses.
The mask was traditionally used in Africa in the majority of ceremonies: feritility or initiation rites, religious or funeral celebrations, but also theatrical or comic performances often linked to the deepest ethnic myths. The mask confers on the person wearing it - for the duration of the ceremony - the essence and the powers of the spirits or ancestors it symbolizes. Secret societies, almost always composed of adult males, are simultaneously repositories and creators. The wearers of masks, sworn to secrecy, are subject to constraints and taboos which protect them from the dangerous magic powers of these objects