Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Hopi Mask
Our Goals
Become familiar with masks of all kinds.
Humanoid Mask
A face covering. Usually it is something worn on the face, with openings for the eyes. As a disguise-either for partying (as at a masquerade ball), to frighten or amuse (as at Halloween), for ritual, or for performance (as by dancers, or by actors in the theater). It may be worn to protect the face (as a gas mask,a hockey mask, or a physician's mask). It may also be any two or three dimensional representation of a face as in the covering of an Egyptian mummy's face. A mask can be a MOLD of a person's face a death mask if made after death, a life mask if while alive.
Native American masks were an important part of the Native American culture. They were used during ceremonies, given as gifts, and each one was hand crafted. This makes them very special. Native American masks had many different purposes including medicinal and spiritual uses and sometimes they were just used for entertainment purposes.
Native American masks were usually created in the likeness of an animal. These animals represented certain Native American ideas such as spirits, status, and characteristics. In addition, some Native Americans believed that each clan was descended from a different animal. This meant that some masks related to the clan the Indians were from. Many tribes believed that when certain animal masks were worn during specific tribal rituals that the person who wore the mask would take on certain characteristics of the animal depicted, they believed that the spirit of the animal would enter that person while they were in the mask.
In addition to creating masks with animal characteristics, they also created portrait masks. These masks were modeled after a certain person. This type of mask would depict the status of the person who the mask was modeled after. Many of the masks made by the American Indians represented things like strength and wisdom. Some masks were intended to portray an important figure in Native American culture.
Sioux
Mechanical Masks
Transformation Mask
Masks were constructed out of the materials they had on hand. This means many of the masks were made out of wood. Paint would be formed out of materials that were readily available. Also, items such as feathers, hair, straw and other elements may be added for further decoration.
Our Project
Now its time to make our simple face masks! You will need to pay close attention to our instructions. You will have a buddy that will be placing the plaster on your face, then you will take your turn and do this for your buddy. This will take 2 classes to complete.
Essential Question: How can we make our plaster mask look like a Native American mask?