Destination: Kumasi , Ghana

This guy with his pointy chin, crescent face, and rad cornrows, is a classic example of a gela mask from the Bassa people of Liberia. Associated with the all-male No society, a mask like this is intended to convey a graceful, serene, almost feminine-like quality, and would have been worn by dancers performing during initiation ceremonies and community festivities, or to impress and entertain important guests. Unlike most other African masks, the gela is attached to a woven framework which fits onto the dancer’s forehead; as a result, gela masks typically show very little wear.