Makonde "Shetani" Mask

Makonde carving - Shetani mask


Makonde "Shetani" mask representing a spirit or ancestral spirit. Invariably misinterpreted by Westerners as depicting the devil or Satan.

Credit: image scanned from Karl Weule's Wissenschaftliche Ergebnisse meiner ethnographischen Forschungsreise in den Südosten Deutsch-Ostafrikas (Berlin, Mittler, 1908). Thanks to Paula Willey at the American Museum of Natural History for the photocopies.

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Traditional Music & Cultures of Kenya
Copyright Jens Finke, 2000-2003

also by Jens Finke
Chasing the Lizard's Tail - across the Sahara by bicycle
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