Tribal Art

Masque Dan (N° 13615)

Thematic of the Bird in African Art A curved, curved beak evoking the calao extends the lower part of this African mask Dan Maou . Equipped with a beard of blond hairs, this face that borrows the round eyes of the running mask Gunye ge , hesitating between two natures, turns into a zoomorphic piece. This type of composition is recurrent in African tribal statuary. The Dan populations known as Yacouba of Côte d'Ivoire and the Maou de Touba (Maouka), after borrowing them from the people mandé neighbor, use them in secret male ceremonies including the Koma Maou and the Poro des Dan society. Ritual, vegetal libations formed a grainy coating on the middle part of the face, while a resinous headband holds the cotton cloth on the upper contours of the mask. The mottled patina is shades of black and burgundy brown For the Dan of Côte d'Ivoire, a people malinké also called Yacouba, two distinct universes are opposed: that of the village, composed of its inhabitants, its animals, and that of the forest, its vegetation and the animals and spirits that populate it. In order for these spirits to be established, a specific area of the forest is designated and still preserved outside the villages dan. Sacrifices are also required in order to communicate through these spirits. Different types of dan masks have been listed, each with a specific function.