Museum paper assignment - Essay Example

but their proportions are more abstract although it has some naturalistic depictions. Dogon masks are an irony compared to the Haida mask of North America, because Dogon masks represents naturalistic entities which are members of Dogon tribe yet the proportions of their representation are more abstract. The Sulka masks of Oceania are obviously abstract in proportion. Unlike Dogon masks from Africa which has hues of semblance of a human form, Sulka masks does not have the slightest feature that distinctively resemble to any entity be it human, animals or objects.

They are shaped like umbrellas especially the hemlaut masks which I believe were deliberately made indistinct because they are used for circumcision ceremonies for boys. Hopi figures which are Katsina dolls may represent spirits that descended from the mountains to aid the tribe people of their livelihood and well-being but their proportions resembles to a human form and being such, more naturalistic in representation. The Kota figure from Africa is more abstract in proportion due to the convexity of the male representation and concavity of the female representation to the point that it became indistinct.

The indistinctiveness of the Hopi figure is more pronounced especially if Kota figure will be compared from the Hopi figure of North America which have an obvious resemblance to a human form. The Maori figure from Oceania is a beautiful naturalistic representation of the human form. This is particurlary true with the wood carving known as whakairo rakau which made decorates a human head with a synchronized lines and circles. Looking closely at the Haida mask from North America, it does not depict any emotional expression other than a blank stare.

Perhaps the reason any expression was removed from mask because it represents an impersonal spirit. Examining the Dogon mask from Africa, it may not have any distinct expression but the sharp stare