Dan mask, Ivory coast late 19th century

Dan mask, Ivory Coast, late 19th century.
This Dan mask embodies the distinctive characteristics of the sculptural art of this West African culture, mainly in Ivory Coast. Dan masks play an essential role in society by symbolizing the tutelary spirits of the bush and are used in rituals and dances organized by male groups, structures of socio-political cohesion. The owners and wearers of these masks enjoy a particular prestige, reflecting their importance within the community.

This carved wooden mask has stylized anthropomorphic features, with a face inscribed in a deep black oval slightly concave in its center and an expressiveness marked by an intense gaze. The rounded eyes, highlighted with kaolin, piercing under well-drawn eyebrows. The nose is strong and the prominent cheekbones add to the intensity of the mask. The mouth with hemmed lips is slightly open which accentuates the dramatic expression. Very beautiful patina of use.

Dan masks have different artistic personalities, embodying various roles: the Deangle who solicits food from women, the Gunyege worn by running champions, often with round eyes, as on the mask we are presenting or the Bugle, formerly a leader of warriors. Some masks, respected and sacred over time, are elevated to the status of gunagle, the mask representing a village district, or gle wa, a judicial mask.

Dan masks, once detached from their performative context, become objects difficult to identify, but their spiritual and aesthetic power remains a constant, testifying to the great art of Dan culture and its rich symbolism.
Late 19th, early
22x13cm
Height with base: 33cm