WALTER E.A. BEEK held a joint appointment as Professor of Anthropology of Religion at Tilburg University and the African Studies Centre Leiden. Now retired from Tilburg, he continues as Senior Researcher at the ASCL. His books include (with Oumar Ongoiba and Atime Saye) Singing with the Dogon Prophet (2022). HARRIE M. LEYTEN taught at several Dutch Universities and was Africa curator at the Tropenmuseum, Amsterdam 1975-95. For UNESCO he conducted missions to Sierra Leone, Nigeria and Mozambique. His books include From Idol to Art, African objects-with-power (2015). He died in March 2023.

• Introduction- Enter the mask- The study of masking- Structure of the bookThe Masking Crescent: Distribution of Masks and Masking in Africa1. Mask Distribution and Theory- Masking zones- Theoretical approach- Parameters of masking- Profiles of masking societies- The zebu exclusion- Methodology2. What is a Mask- Explaining masks: The Magritte effect- A basic mask typology- Bush, spirits, ancestors, and other people- Masks and power- Tradition, prototype and invention- Conclusion3. Masks and Masculinity: Initiation- Chewing the mask- Separation from the mother- Liminal revelation- Mask and circumcision- Symbols of gender: Death and food- Communitas and age- Masks and masculinities- Conclusion4. Secrecy and Power- Writing on the mask- Dimensions of secrecy- Initiation societies and the empty secret- The sound of secrecy- Ethics, society, and secrecy- Conclusion5. Death and its Masks - Singing at the mask- Burial and the farewells- Burial by masks- Funeral as initiation- Individual and society in funerals- Masks and the second funeral- Celebrating life- Conclusion6. Women: Pivot of the Masks- The first mask- Gender domains- Celebrating femininity- Women dancing with masks- The mask of the woman is her body- Conclusion7. Masks and Politics - Masks for father- Masks and the history of the patriline - Feasting the sultan- The mask as king- Initiation, masks, and regicide- Masquerades and modern politics- Conclusion: The Akan gap8. Masks and the Order of Things- Masks in the field- Masks and the adjudication of law- The discourse on witchcraft- Masks versus 'witches' - 'Uncovering witchcraft': A mask performance abroad- 'War masks' - Conclusion9. Masks and Modernity- Playful sharks in the Delta- Theatre at Cross River- The king of masks, the elephant of masks- Masks for new audiences- Masks as icons of ethnic identity- Heritage, icon, and commodity- Conclusion10. Memories of Power, Power of Memories- Arrest that mask!- Satire, the weapon of the weak- Masquerades and the slaving state- From Africa to the African Diaspora - Conclusion11. Conclusion- The cultural niche for masquerades- A future for masks?BibliographySources for ethnographic casesPicture creditsIndex

Van Beek and Leyten's new book is a must-read for anyone interested in masquerade studies and African studies in general. Its rigor and unprecedented scope and coverage of African masks are exemplified in the impressive geo-mapping of African masking societies.