"We" People Mask

Among the We, masks of this type were used to exercise justice, make war, and oppose witchcraft. They mix anthropomorphic and animal elements to give form to spiritual entities. The bare metal teeth, the animal hair, and the colored eyes make them look threatening. Even if people may laugh at their public exhibitions, they nevertheless regard these masks as dangerous and even deadly, in the case of women: according to local belief, seeing these masks could cause a woman to become sterile or die.
The kauri shells that frame the upper part of the face were a widespread form of money across Africa and accentuate the mask’s importance.