i have a small collection of wooden masks. most of them stemming from Africa,(Ghana or Congo),a few from Haiti, Brazil (Belem). i got them as presents and it is difficult to find out if they have a meaning. this one for example was given to me by a dear friend a while ago. he provided me with the meaning and i found a bit more of it on the Internet. the mask bears a symbol in the forehead called Gye Name. I FEAR NO ONE EXCEPT GOD!
the adinkra symbol called "Gye Nyame" which means"Except God" or "Only God" in the Twi language, spoken primarily by the Akan tribes. This symbol represents the omnipotence and supremacy of God.The gye nyame symbol is probably the best known adinkra symbol from Ghana.
If you look closely at the symbol you can see that it shows a person inside of a hand. It is a picture of how we are held in the hand of God.
Another translation of the gye nyame symbol is this:
This great panorama of creation dates back to time immemorial; no one lives who saw its beginning and no one will live to see its end, EXCEPT GOD.
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| african writing, signs. |
It is used in decorations, clothing, and artwork. It is a reflection of the religious character of the Ghanaian people.
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| these are a pair, probably from Haiti. |
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| shumom characters |
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| from Belem, Brazil. my Amerindian warrior |
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| not sure where these come from. but they are nice and are flirting.. |
the adinkra symbol called "Gye Nyame" which means"Except God" or "Only God" in the Twi language, spoken primarily by the Akan tribes. This symbol represents the omnipotence and supremacy of God.The gye nyame symbol is probably the best known adinkra symbol from Ghana. 
Another translation of the gye nyame symbol is this:
