Theme of Ceremony and Society

Photo of New Ireland Mask People across the world engage in a wide range of ceremonial rites and spectacles. Some of these are religious, others political or social. Through these practices and the arts that accompany them—costumes, masks, vessels, ancestor figurines, altarpieces, staffs, and other objects and images—people across cultures define identity, build community, express belief, negotiate power, and attend to the physical and spiritual well-being of both individuals and societies.

People in societies throughout time and across the globe have participated in ceremonies to formally recognize particular occasions as being special. Weddings, funerals, graduations, and coming-of-age rituals call attention to noteworthy moments of transition. Ceremonies reinforce group values and identity, and they construct meaning that art objects often enhance and make memorable.

Masks have been used in ceremonies throughout history around the world, transforming the wearer into another being. Some prehistoric cave art includes references to masks. Most masks were first used for religious, ritualistic, and/or social purposes and later were adopted for role-playing in storytelling, dance, and theater. In some cultures, masks are thought to be alive and imbued with power. Sometimes they are used in ceremonies that mark a rite of passage, or as part of celebratory festivities like Carnival.

Crowns, costumes, masks, and vessels now on display in museums were originally made to serve varied purposes important to the societies that created them. Some regalia were designed to reinforce the power of royalty. Other ceremonial objects have political, religious, or social functions.

Throughout history, such works of art have helped to define identity, build community, express belief, and/or negotiate power. In many cultures these objects have had the ability to influence both physical and spiritual well-being. For those who share this belief, art is truly powerful.

Questions for Thought

How has the transformative power of masks been used?
How have cultures used ceremonial objects to promote the well-being or betterment of the community?
How has ceremonial dress conveyed position or status?

The College Board has used this theme on the AP Art History exam over the years. This review component has been designed to help you explore this theme. In the earlier modules, you were introduced to several works that use writing as part of the artwork. The following list is just a few examples.

In this module, a few of the works that are good examples of representations of the theme of ceremony and society are the following:

Buk (mask). Torres Strait. Mid- to late 19th century C.E. Turtle shell, wood, fiber, feathers, and shell.
Malagan display and mask. New Ireland Province, Papua New Guinea. c. 20th century C.E. Wood, pigment, fiber, and shell.
'Ahu 'ula (feather cape). Hawaiian. Late 18th century C.E. Feathers and fiber.

The following images from the past modules are a few of the possible examples of the artistic representation of ceremony and society:

Audience Hall (apadana) of Darius and Xerxes. Persepolis, Iran. Persian. c. 520-465 B.C.E. Limestone.
Tomb of the Triclinium. Tarquinia, Italy. Etruscan. c. 480-470 B.C.E. Tufa and fresco.
The Palace at Versailles. Versailles, France. Louis Le Vau and Jules Hardouin-Mansart (architects). Begun 1669 C.E. Masonry, stone, wood, iron, and gold leaf (architecture); marble and bronze (sculpture); gardens.
Transformation mask. Kwakwaka'wakw, Northwest coast of Canada. Late 19th century C.E. Wood, paint, and string.
Ruler's feather headdress (probably of Motecuhzoma II). Mexica (Aztec). 1428-1520 C.E. Feathers (quetzal and cotinga) and gold.
Gold and jade crown. Three Kingdoms Period, Silla Kingdom, Korea. Fifth to sixth century C.E. Metalwork.
Female (Pwo) mask. Chokwe peoples (Democratic Republic of the Congo). Late 19th to early 20th century C.E. Wood, fiber, pigment, and metal.
Portrait mask (Mblo). Baule peoples (Côte d'Ivoire). Early 20th century C.E. Wood and pigment.
Bundu mask. Sande Society, Mende peoples (West African forests of Sierra Leone and Liberia). 19th to 20th century C.E. Wood, cloth, and fiber.
Sika dwa kofi (Golden Stool). Ashanti peoples (south central Ghana). c. 1700 C.E. Gold over wood and cast-gold attachments.
Power figure (Nkisi n'kondi). Kongo peoples (Democratic Republic of the Congo). c. late 19th century C.E. Wood and metal.
Aka elephant mask. Bamileke (Cameroon, western grass fields region). c. 19th to 20^th century C.E. Wood, woven raffia, cloth, and beads.
Basin (Baptistry of St. Louis). Muhammad ibn al-Zain. c. 1320-1340 C.E. Brass inlaid with gold and silver.
Funeral banner of Lady Dai (Xin Zhui). Han Dynasty, China. c. 180 B.C.E. Painted silk.

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