For the African, the earth is female. She is a life giver, a mother, Mother Earth. Mother Earth's fertility and female fertility are seen as connected. Some masks are used in more secular domains. They are used to maintain law and order within the community.
Some masks are part of costumes and headdresses.
Some masks are two-dimensional structures designed to only cover the face. Other masks may be classified as genuine three-dimensional sculptures. The latter are carved using special tree-trunks. Usually, the wearer of the mask is a dancer. Dance, for the African, is life.