In case the dancer wears a mask that is part of a headdress, the headdress has an opening to allow the dancer to visualize the audience and gauge his performance. Some masks are carried over the shoulder. African masks, in general, vary in size. Most of them, however, are the size of the human face. Others are larger than the human face.
Masks representing animals also come in different sizes.
The larger than life size masks are used mainly to make them more dramatic. Wood is the material used par excellence to create African masks. This is due to the abundance of the rain forest. Different types of wood are used depending upon the impression the carver wants to create. Very seldom, the wood used kept its natural color.