Standing two feet high, with ungainly jutting ears, puffed-out cheeks, and grimacing teeth, this mask from the Mende people is not pretty. But prettiness was not the goal of the mask’s carver. Rather, this mask, customarily worn with a costume of dead leaves and rags, intentionally challenges the standards of beauty in society. The jolting and awkward dance performed with the mask represents the ugliest and most ridiculous aspects of human nature, forcing the audience to confront both what is aesthetically and emotionally challenging.