African Bird Symbolism

When asked to look more into texture and designs for my reshoot I thought back to how Keiron LeVine told us how he always thinks about the tribal symbolism of the animals he is using for his headdresses. I then looked into animal symbolism in tribal cultures, and straight away thought of bird footprints as these are often left and would be interesting to recreate in wax on the face.
Birds are considered very special in African culture as they are said to symbolize spirits.
I liked the look of the Eagle and the Ostrich particularly as they are said to symbolise interesting things;
Eagle- a symbol of swiftness, strength and labor. The eagle is generous, fearless and courageous. The eagle represents faith and nobility. The eagle has come to symbolize Christ and is often seen in Christian churches and on Haitian Voodoo flags.

Ostrich- the bringer of visions and dreams, a symbol of divine order, truth and justice.

I thought these meanings were interesting and I will definitely be playing around with these bird print ideas.

Sacred Symbolism of Birds - Indigo International. 2014. Sacred Symbolism of Birds - Indigo International. [ONLINE] Available at: http://indigointernational.org/sacred-symbolism-of-birds/. [Accessed 02 December 2014].

West African Animals & Their Significance in African Masks. 2014. West African Animals & Their Significance in African Masks. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.lotusmasks.com/category/african-animal-masks.html. [Accessed 02 December 2014].