Hand-carved from Sese wood (teak), this mask serves as a symbol for the cultural expression "Sankofa." Literally translated, "Sankofa" means, "It is not taboo to go back and fetch what you forgot." The mask is a bird with its head turned back while holding an egg on its back. The cultural meaning of Sankofa can be stated in many ways, for example: "The past can help to guide the future...if a mistake has been made or something is forgotten, the wrong can be righted and one can learn from experience." More recently, the Sankofa symbol has also alluded to a historic past or heritage that is uniquely African and is remembered with an eye toward building the future. Frank (Kofi) Osei lives and works in Ahwiaa, Ghana, a suburb of Kumasi. His preferred style of carving is primitive.