What is a face mask or face covering?

A face mask is a protective covering for the face, designed to block transmission of respiratory droplets. They have been used in healthcare to protect from splashes of bodily fluids, but became critical during the COVID-19 pandemic for personal protection in public settings. Surgical masks can be 68% effective in blocking the transmission of SARS, while N95 masks can be more than 90% effective. Even homemade cloth masks can limit the spread of large respiratory droplets. The CDC recommends the use of simple cloth masks to help slow the spread of COVID-19.

Why do people wear face masks?

People wear face masks for various reasons, including protection against the spread of infectious respiratory diseases . Face masks can block the transmission of respiratory droplets, and even homemade masks can limit the spread of large droplets from sneezes or coughs. The effectiveness of cloth masks depends on the fabric and fit, but proper use is crucial. Masks also feature in ceremonies of religious and social significance , such as funerary customs, fertility rites, or curing sickness. They can also be used in warfare to instill fear in the enemy or as protective devices in sports.

What are the different types of face masks?

Face masks used in healthcare protect professionals from body fluids and block respiratory droplets. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they became vital for broader public use. Mask types include:

How do face masks help prevent the spread of germs?

Face masks help control the spread of germs by blocking the transmission of respiratory droplets. A 2008 study showed surgical masks were 68% effective, and N95 masks over 90% effective, in blocking SARS transmission. Even imperfectly fitted or homemade masks can limit the spread of large respiratory droplets from sneezes or coughs. The CDC issued recommendations for cloth masks during the COVID-19 pandemic to help stem the spread of disease. The type and thickness of fabric influences how well cloth masks prevent disease transmission. Thicker fabrics can catch small aerosolized particles, but may be uncomfortable and undermine effectiveness if they are hard to breathe through. Proper wear and cleaning are also important.

What materials are commonly used to make face masks?

Face masks commonly utilize materials effective in blocking the transmission of respiratory droplets. Surgical masks, often used in healthcare, have been shown to block 68% of SARS transmission. N95 masks, a type of respirator mask, filter airborne particulate matter and can be more than 90% effective. Due to shortages of surgical and N95 masks, simple cloth masks have become a common alternative. The CDC recommends cloth masks made from household materials to help slow the spread of disease. The fabric type and thickness can influence how well cloth masks prevent disease transmission; thicker fabrics or multiple layers can catch small aerosolized particles, but may be less comfortable due to breathing resistance. Polypropylene is also used in disposable nonwoven fabrics for medical applications.

How have cultures around the world used face masks throughout history?

Across cultures, face masks have served diverse purposes throughout history. Religious and Social Significance Masks are central to ceremonies with religious and social importance, such as those tied to funerary practices, fertility rites, or healing rituals. Secret societies have used masks to drive away disease demons, as seen in the False Face Society of the Iroquois people. Festive Occasions and Theatrical Performances Masks are also common in festivals, often to encourage freedom and amusement, such as during Halloween and Mardi Gras. In theater, masks represent characters, a tradition that began in ancient Greece. In Japanese Noh drama, masks symbolize character types and emotions. Warfare and Protection In warfare, masks instill fear in enemies. Protective masks are also used in sports like fencing and ice hockey.

Mask

Introduction
General characteristics
- The making of masks
- The wearing of masks
- The role of the spectator
- Meaning and aesthetic response
- Preservation and collecting
The functions and forms of masks
- Social and religious uses
- Funerary and commemorative uses
- Therapeutic uses
- Festive uses
- Theatrical uses

References & Edit History Related Topics

Images & Videos

A makishi dancer stands wearing a large, patterned costume with a round mask, representing an ancestral spirit in initiation rites in northwestern Zambia.

Observe the Dogon Dancers of Mali Performing Wearing Kanaga Masks

At a Glance

mask summary

Mask

face covering

Written by

Paul S. Wingert

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Nov. 8, 2026 •History

General characteristics

The masks of the world display virtually infinite variety, from the simplest of crude “false faces” held by a handle to complete head coverings designed with ingenious movable parts. Mask makers have shown great resourcefulness in selecting and combining available materials. Among the substances utilized are woods, metals, shells, fibres, ivory, clay, horn, stone, feathers, leather, furs, paper, cloth, and corn husks. Surface treatments have ranged from rugged simplicity to intricate carving and from gaudy adornments to polished woods and mosaics.

Masks generally are worn with a costume, often so extensive that it entirely covers the body and obscures the wearer’s recognizable features. Fundamentally the costume completes the new identity represented by the mask, and usually tradition prescribes its appearance and construction to the same extent as the mask itself. Costumes, like the masks, are made of a great variety of materials, all of which have a symbolic connection with the mask’s total imagery. Mask and costume are best understood as a unit and in performance.

The morphological elements of the mask are with few exceptions derived from natural forms. Masks with human features are classified as anthropomorphic and those with animal characteristics as theriomorphic. In some instances the mask form is a replication of natural features or is quite realistic, and in other instances it is an abstraction. Masks usually represent supernatural beings, ancestors, and fanciful or imagined figures, and they can also be portraits. The localization of a particular spirit in a specific mask must be considered a highly significant reason for its existence. In masks worn for socially significant rituals, the change in identity of the wearer for that of the mask is vital, for if the spirit represented does not reside in the image of the mask, the ritual petitions, supplications, and offerings made to it would be ineffectual and meaningless. The mask, therefore, most often functions as a means of contact with various spirit powers, thereby protecting against the unknown forces of the universe by prevailing upon their potential beneficence in all matters relative to life.

The making of masks

With few exceptions, masks of a ceremonial nature were and are made by professional artisans or noted sculptors. In societies in which masks of supernatural beings have played a significant ceremonial role, it is usually presumed that the spiritual power of the created image is strongly felt by the artist. A primary belief involved in both the conception and the rendering of these objects was and is that all organic and inorganic matter contains spiritual power and that the mask itself therefore possesses the power of whatever material was used to make it. This power is considered a volatile, active force that is surrounded by various taboos and restrictions for the protection of those handling it. In the example of ceremonial masks, certain prescribed rituals must be followed in the process of the mask’s creation. In most instances the artist’s tools too contain spiritual power, and even these must be handled in a prescribed manner.

As the form of the mask develops, it is usually believed to acquire power increasingly in its own right, and again various procedures are prescribed to protect the craftsman and to ensure the potency of the object. If all the conventions have been adhered to, the completed mask, when worn or displayed, is regarded as an object suffused with great supernatural or spirit power. In some cultures it is believed that because of the close association between the mask maker and the spirit of the mask, the artist absorbs some of its magic power. A few West African peoples believe, in fact, that the creators of masks are potentially capable of using the object’s supernatural powers to cause harm to others.

The mask maker is enjoined to work within long-established bounds, using particular forms, traditional imagery, and formal conventions. If they are not followed, the artist can bring upon himself the severe censure of his social group and the displeasure or even wrath of the spirit power inherent in the mask. This requirement, however, does not restrict artistic expressiveness. The mask maker can and does creatively interpret the traditionally prescribed general forms, attributes, and devices. In fact, it is often precisely the artist’s known ability to give a vitally expressive or an aesthetically pleasing presentation of the required image that makes him desirable as a mask maker.

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Mask

Religious and Social Significance

Festive Occasions and Theatrical Performances

Warfare and Protection

General characteristics

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The making of masks