Wood carving

Among some African peoples, in particular Bamana and Maninka, metal and wood are processed by the same people, members of the numu caste. That is why, when the word numu is translated as ‘blacksmith’, it is incorrect, as a numu is also a carpenter. The Fulbe people have a special caste of craftsmen who work with wood called laube. But many other peoples believe that this occupation is suitable for any man, and in Cameroon even rulers were supposed to carve ritual figures.

In Africa, all kinds of things are made of wood. The hardest species of trees are used to make pestles and mortars: they should not crack from blows or drying in the hot sun. Many people like wooden dishes for they are more durable than calabashes. There are also carved spoons, but not everyone has them, for a spoon is an attribute of the head of a family. A Bozo fisherman cannot do without his wooden boat, and to fabricate a good boat is a great art.

But the most famous African wooden objects are masks. To be precise, we should speak about masks’ faces, as a real African mask includes a whole costume that normally disguises the person’s body completely. Every ethnic group has its own style of masks. For example, Guro or Yaure mask carvers attach to a mask the features of the most beautiful girl in the village, while Kru masks are characterized by rough shapes and bulging eyes. To be more precise, even one ethnic group may have very different masks, for their appearance depends on their function.

Woodworker.  Ethiopia.  M. Grevers. 2005		Making of a maul for beating fabric. Mali. Bamako. Perekhvalskaya E. 2005