"African art is rooted in religion. This does not mean that Africans would be so presumptuous as to make images of the great creator-god. It is rather the case that they try to put the divine power, the eternal vital force which suffuses creation, into a form that befits it, thereby ensuring its favorable disposition and enlisting its aid and protection. African works of art -- masks, sculptures and other ritual implements -- are nothing less than media designed for supernatural power. They have to be fashioned with such beauty and precision, with such appropriateness, that they please the spirit and persuade it to take up its abode in them. This it does in special ceremonies, which the priest combines with sacrifices and invocations; at the climax of the ritual the presence of the divine spirit makes itself felt to the worshipper with the greatest immediacy and intensity."
             From the above passage by Leuzinger, we can tell that the art of Africa has played and still does play a very important role in the everyday lives of African peoples. The Museum of Fine arts recently had a collection of African art on display. All of the art that was on display had a very specific purpose, whether it is as complex as a death mask or as simple as a container for jewelry or hairpins. This art was also used for ancestor worship or in yam purifying ceremonies and even in circumcision initiations. All of the artwork was handcrafted, and the observer can tell that the artisan went to great lengths to ensure that his mask or his cup would please the gods that he was making it for. It is clear that the African artisans believe that their ancestors will live on in the art that they create.
             The mask is a very important part of African life. Used in countless ceremonies, it might be the most important piece of artwork that one can make. Generally, the mask bears the features of the ancestor figure, which might explain the pronounced facial features tha...