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African Art

African Art has always been a mysterious and often times misunderstood art form. There has always been a fascination with the human figure in African art and its typically the primary subject matter for both ancient and modern African Art. The human fascination may be a symbol of the living or the dead and may refer to chiefs, ceremonial dancers, or different types of trades such as musicians or warriors. It is also very common for African art to portray an anthropomorphic representation of a god or other spirits. Another common African theme is the combination of both human and animal figures, which show the close relationship between the African and nature.

African artists tend to favor art forms that are three dimensional or that promote some sort of interaction with the art piece. Even the beautiful African mudcloths are typically meant to be worn as garments or even crafted into home decorations. African masks are also meant to do much more than just hang on a wall. Many of these masks were originally created to be worn by ceremonial dancers who would use the mask as a tool to communicate with spirits and ancestors. In fact, most African art has its roots in some sort of performance art.

The influence of African art can be seen and felt across the globe, and it is even said that some of history's most influential artists such as Picasso, Matisse and Van Gogh got much of their inspiration from the influence of African Art in all its beauty and splendor.

African Masks

The wooden African mask is typically the most popular African art medium due to its beauty, uniqueness and intrigue. In their original contexts, these masks were used for ceremonial purposes such as celebrations, initiations, battle preparation, harvest or as a means to contact their ancestors for guidance. These African masks were crafted by a master wood carver who would be guided by the spirits and produce a beautiful handcrafted mask. The mask would then be worn by a chosen dancer who would go into a deep trance so that he could communicate with the spirits. These ceremonies were often dramatic and anyone who attended would be spiritually affected by the demonstration.

Most African Masks are crafted out of wood, but they are typically adorned with different materials like shells, beads, animal hair, plant fibers and other pigments. It takes many years of training before an artist can reach the status of master carver and many times these skills are passed down through many generations. These carvers are highly respected not only for their carving skills but also for their spiritual and symbolic knowledge.

Handcrafted masks have been used by different cultures around the world for centuries, but African cultures have perhaps the most abundant amount of tradition and ritual behind their intriguing masks. Whether its the corpse-like Dan masks of the Ivory Coast or the vibrant colorful masks of the Maasai people of Kenya, these masks are full of symbolic and societal meanings. In fact, each mask tells its own story and each African society has their own style of unique masks that symbolize themselves and their own culture.

Welcome to Acacia Wood Carvings

We specialize in handcrafted African home decor, including unique African wall art, authentic & affordable African masks, African weaponry, beautiful African ebony wood carvings, handcrafted & functional walking canes, contemporary African shadowbox art, African statues and many other interesting and unique decorative products from all over Africa and beyond. Our products are sourced from many different African countries enabling us to stock a large and varied range of traditional and contemporary African Art. Most of our pieces come directly from the villages of Africa, which allows us to provide you with authentic home decorations at an affordable price. These pieces will bring incredibly unique character and charm to your African home decor. At the same time, you will be supporting the local African artisans that create these wonderful pieces of art. Please take your time and enjoy your trip through Africa.

Featured Products

African Ashanti Decorated Tribal Table
African Ashanti Decorated Tribal Table
African Frafra Tribal Mask
African Frafra Tribal Mask

Authentic African Masai Shield
Ebony Wood Black Panther Statue
Ebony Wood Black Panther Statue

All Natural Dudu Osun African Black Soap (12 bars)
Wholesale African Products
Babyliss Hair Straightener

Hot Tools Curling Iron

Where To Buy CHI

Wen Shampoo

Sedu Flat Iron

Solia Flat Iron

Hai Flat Iron

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