Fire mask - Dan - Côte d'Ivoire
05
days
17
hours
16
minutes
00
seconds
Current bid
€ 65
Reserve price not met
Expert
Selected by Julien Gauthier
A decade of experience in historical arms, armour, and African art.
Estimate € 330 - € 380
2 other people are watching this object
 | €65 |
|---|
Catawiki Buyer Protection
Your payment’s safe with us until you receive your object.View details
Trustpilot 4.4 | 132408 reviews
Rated Excellent on Trustpilot.
Masque de feu, a Dan mask from Côte d'Ivoire, provenance Collection privée, measuring 24 cm high by 1 cm wide and 1 cm deep, weight 1 g, in good condition and sold without a stand.
AI-assisted summary
Description from the seller
The Dan mask adorned with a red band across the eyes is a significant ritual variant within the Dan sculptural tradition of Liberia and Côte d'Ivoire. This band, often made of cloth or dyed fibers, frames the gaze and heightens the mask's intensity, symbolizing spiritual vision and the ability to perceive the invisible. Red, a color rich in meaning, evokes power, transition, and the connection with the world of spirits. Worn during specific ceremonies, this type of mask serves to mark a boundary between the profane and the sacred, allowing the wearer to embody a protective or judging entity. The placement of the band over the eyes also suggests a form of voluntary blindness, where the mask “sees” beyond physical appearance, revealing the moral truth of individuals. This imagery testifies to the Dan’s symbolic sophistication, where every visual element participates in a complex cosmogony linking human, ancestral, and divine realms within a rigorous community value system.
Want to present this mask optimally in your interior? Opt for a premium stand to elevate this mask: contact us after the sale to learn more. Exclusive stands 100% Made In Belgium.
Presentation of our house of expertise
Based in Belgium, our house of expertise and sales is specialized in African art and ethnography. A reference seller on Catawiki for over 8 years, we enjoy a solid reputation and a record of several hundred sales with an almost 100% satisfaction rate.
We regularly assist with liquidations, successions and dispersals of collections, in collaboration with individuals and families in Belgium and neighboring countries. Our approach is rigorous, transparent and accessible, with sales often offered without reserve prices.
Some pieces that have passed through our hands have joined international private collections and, for some, museum institutions.
Shipping guaranteed within 24 hours, with careful packaging, insurance and tracking.
Contact 7 days a week: we remain available for any questions or requests for additional information.
The Dan mask adorned with a red band across the eyes is a significant ritual variant within the Dan sculptural tradition of Liberia and Côte d'Ivoire. This band, often made of cloth or dyed fibers, frames the gaze and heightens the mask's intensity, symbolizing spiritual vision and the ability to perceive the invisible. Red, a color rich in meaning, evokes power, transition, and the connection with the world of spirits. Worn during specific ceremonies, this type of mask serves to mark a boundary between the profane and the sacred, allowing the wearer to embody a protective or judging entity. The placement of the band over the eyes also suggests a form of voluntary blindness, where the mask “sees” beyond physical appearance, revealing the moral truth of individuals. This imagery testifies to the Dan’s symbolic sophistication, where every visual element participates in a complex cosmogony linking human, ancestral, and divine realms within a rigorous community value system.
Want to present this mask optimally in your interior? Opt for a premium stand to elevate this mask: contact us after the sale to learn more. Exclusive stands 100% Made In Belgium.
Presentation of our house of expertise
Based in Belgium, our house of expertise and sales is specialized in African art and ethnography. A reference seller on Catawiki for over 8 years, we enjoy a solid reputation and a record of several hundred sales with an almost 100% satisfaction rate.
We regularly assist with liquidations, successions and dispersals of collections, in collaboration with individuals and families in Belgium and neighboring countries. Our approach is rigorous, transparent and accessible, with sales often offered without reserve prices.
Some pieces that have passed through our hands have joined international private collections and, for some, museum institutions.
Shipping guaranteed within 24 hours, with careful packaging, insurance and tracking.
Contact 7 days a week: we remain available for any questions or requests for additional information.
Details
Indigenous object name
Fire mask
Ethnic group/ culture
Dan
Country of Origin
Côte d'Ivoire
Sold with stand
No
Condition
Good condition
Height
24 cm
Width
1 cm
Depth
1 cm
Weight
1 g
Provenance
Private collection
Sold by
