Year: Seventh
Date: Friday October 24, 2008
Time: 10:00am – 11:00am
 

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((Since it’s October is it assumed that background history on African Tribes has been covered in other class sessions.))
 
 It seemed the planning of the upcoming Amazon trip was finally starting to get the better of him.  As Isaac quickly made his way back to the classroom, examples for class tucked under his arm, he was thankful that once classes had finished for the day they would be heading to the Amazon campsite to start the research venture.  He was tired of planning and anticipating.  It was truly starting to wear a bit thin on his nerves.
 
Entering the classroom at just ten o’clock he noted that many of the students were thankfully already there.  Of course, with a professor missing they had taken mostly clumping in small groups instead of sitting in their seats.  A few were looking at the masks he had put up already…the ones he had actually remembered to bring that morning from his chambers.
 
“Good morning class, let’s get settled please,” he announced, trying to draw their attention as he proceeded to the front of the room.
 
“As you might have guessed today will be continuing our discussion of African history and culture by talking about ceremonial masks.  Around the rooms are several examples I collected in my travels.  Each one is from a different region.  The materials used and the subjects they represent all differ,” he said as he set up the remaining three masks.
 
Moving to the first example he intended to use, he added, “This first mask comes from the Senufo culture which is located the region that makes up Côte d'Ivoire, Mali, and Burkina Faso.  It was carved from wood and painted before use in ceremonies.  Usually the dancers who wear these masks are male and along with the masks tend to wear a full costume.”

Motioning to the mask next to it he said, “This is another example of a mask used within the Senufo culture.  These more elaborate masks are usually made from wood and cloth, and are used during initiation practices.  On this particular example there are also horns and feathers that have been attached, which might indicate that the owner had an elevated standing within the community.”

Crossing the room, he stopped before one of his favorite pieces, and said, “This mask representing a lion.  It comes from Nigeria, created by the Hausa people, and is usually masks such as this are given to those who are the most successful hunters.”

It wasn’t one he had purchased or bartered for, and anyone who had actually read the book he had written and come to detest might have realized it was one he spoke of during one of the chapters.  While studying the Hausa people he had agreed to follow a group of young man on a hunt.  Of course the group of young hunters hadn’t really appreciated their elder’s forcing the some outside on them and had found a way to separate themselves from him.

No one had counted on him coming upon a pack of hyenas.  One of them attacked, leaving Isaac with little choice but to defend himself.  Thankfully they had given him a spear and he had been able to make it look like the one he had been forced to kill had died from the spear wound not magical means.  A few days later he was presented with the mask.

“What I’d like you do with the remainder of your time is break off into groups of two or three and come with a design for your own mask.  There are several examples around the room you can draw inspiration from.  Before the end of class you will present your creation and tell us, what it represents, how it might be used, and why you chose that particular design as a group,” he said.  “If you need further advice I will be around.”

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Alrighty folks!  You don’t have to make a mask, but I would love it if there was a graphic.  When I’m really looking for a good rp of a couple of you working together in small groups.


*The first two examples came from the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s online collection.  The final piece is from novica.com.

Grace was going to be unable to attend the Amazon trip with Professor Frasier and some of the students involved with the Muggle Appreciation group, but she was hoping that she might be able to join in on a another trip in the future. Despite being a Muggle by birth (to her knowledge, no one in her family had any connection whatsoever with magic), Grace was intensely interested in viewing that part of her life through the magical lens.

Stepping into the Muggle Studies classroom (late for her), she smiled warmly at the affable professor before slipping into her seat to wait for him to start. She took a moment to look at the artifacts he had placed around. She half listened to him speak as she continued to observe the intricacies of the masks.
 
She was fascinated by each one in turn and by the story that Frasier shared about its significance. Not surprisingly, the Gryffindor was most drawn to the Nigerian mask representing the lion. It took Frasier's talk about designing a mask. Already ideas were floating around in her head and Grace eagerly turned to sketching in her notebook after she and her nearby classmates had quietly decided to work together.

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I realize that Grace and maybe one other student might be active in the class, but I'm fine with working with that.