Rare mask - Dan - Côte d'Ivoire

Dan mask – rare typology, spectacular form – West Africa

Artwork sold with its original official document of origin and provenance.

Dan mask (Dan/Gio cultural area, Ivory Coast / Liberia), presented in a rather unusual typology considering its particularly sculptural form and its visual impact.

This type of mask belongs to the world of Dan masquerades, where the object participates in a codified appearance (dance, performance and social or ritual mediation depending on the context). Here, the power of the volumes, the sobriety of the gaze, and the tension of the mouth reinforce the expressiveness and the authority that are found in certain categories of Dan masks.

Our Gallery:
Héritage Galerie has established itself as a reference thanks to a rigorous selection and transparent presentation of the works. Each piece is accompanied by a documentation file summarizing the identification information, the available provenance details, and a synthesis of our study on the context and ritual use. Fast, careful, insured and trackable shipping: you buy here directly from an identified, reachable, and committed gallery.

Dan Study:
The Dan (sometimes called Yacouba) form an ethnic group in West Africa that lives mainly along the border between Ivory Coast and Liberia, in a region of forests and savannas. They are renowned for the richness and diversity of their masks, which occupy a central role in the social, ritual, and political life of their communities.

Museum collections and specialists distinguish several 20personalities20 of masks, each associated with a specific social or ritual function:

Déangle / Deangle: often depicted with slitted eyes and gentle or idealized features, this mask is perceived as feminine and benevolent, sometimes associated with food gathering or with protecting young men during initiation.

Gunyege (or Gunyeya): this mask appears notably during ritual races where the masked bearer pursues the unmasked one; it symbolizes endurance, competition and community vitality.
Tankagle / Bagle: entertainment masks, they perform dances, sketches and bring joy and spectacle during the festivities.

Buglé: sometimes associated with strength, he has historically accompanied men in war or in large collective undertakings.

Beyond these figures, there are many regional and village variants, some rarer or intended for very specific contexts (justice, peace, major events).

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