Handmade Patience Africa Wood Mask (Ghana) - 11.75" H x 8.25" W x 3.1" D

With eyes and mouth open, this mask represents the virtue of patience, or abotre in the Akan language. "Each person must have patience in order to live peacefully with others," believes Eric Danquah of his inspiration. An original design by Danquah, the sese wood mask is crafted by hand featuring a bird over the nose and embossed brass plates bearing motifs of Akan artistry.

Product Features -
Weight - 1.36 lbs
Dimension - 11.75" H x 8.25" W x 3.1" D
Color - Black
Material - Sese wood and aluminum
Made in Ghana

Story Behind The Art -
Eric Danquah was born on December 12, 1974. He displayed interest in carving as a young man, and would sometimes go around helping the carvers of his community. However, his mother wanted him to be an electrician so she sent him to the city to study electronics. Soon enough, Danquah realized that this was not his calling, and he decided to return home to learn the art of carving, for which he had already demonstrated talent.  Says Danquah,I learned carving from a shop for three years and later established myself with my own shop. I started carving for a full time profession in the year 1997 at the age of twenty-three, and now have one boy I work with. We are four children in the family, among which my junior brother and sister are also talented with the skill of carving. My brother helps me a lot at the shop.  Sese wood serves as Danquah's primary material, as he uses chisels, gouges, and axes to extract its natural beauty.