GENDER ROLES IN SENUFO ART AND MASQUERADES
All masquerades in Senufo culture are performed by men, and are in general, used to express male roles and initiation in the community. There are few exceptions, one example being masquerades directed at the women's society of diviners. Art pieces and designs used in these masquerades, however, have female imagery and some masquerades even have female-male combinations. Most female imagery in masquerade face masks are used to represent female sexuality and fertility. The female motif in the mask is symbolic for the male's role to his society in relation to that of the female one. The masquerade is used to create a "union" or "marriage" to his society and a vow to protect and perform diligently in the community, just as a wife would to her husband. In terms of the look of the mask, the design is meant to represent the roles of both men and women in the community. The dark coloring of a masquerade mask is used to represent the danger and supernatural acts the men do, such as ritual sacrificing and handling animal blood. Using animal blood in rituals is forbidden for women, since they are seen as life givers and abstainers. On the other hand, the glossy, black design of the mask is also associated with female beauty.