Dan Mask from Ivory Coast, Africa, 1950

This very elegant Dan mask is well-proportioned with a long protruding mouth from Ivory Coast, Africa. It dates back to the 1950s. The base is included in the price. Dan masks have been documented as the embodiment of at least a dozen artistic personalities. Among these are Deangle, who ventures into the village from the initiation camps to ask women for food; Tankagle and Bagle, who entertain through a range of aesthetically pleasing dances, skits, and mimes; Bugle, who historically leads men into battle; and Gunyege, whose mask is worn by a community’s champion foot racers in competitions. The present example might be identified as Gunyege; once they are divorced from their performance contexts, however, mask forms are difficult to identify.