Mask - Côte d’Ivoire (No reserve price)

africain > Dan Mask

Dan Mask
of African art, the number to the buyer. Version sobriety of the Gunye ge racing mask, an actor in the social order among the Dan. It presents an oval face with a pronounced beard, hollowed eyes ringed with metal, and a protruding mouth. Its black patina is smooth and uniform. Height with base: 37 cm. Gunye ge masks, recognizable by their circular orbits that aid vision, are used by the northern Dan during the dry-season racing events. Among the Dan — or Yacouba of Côte d’Ivoire and Liberia — these masks embody dü, a spiritual principle that transmits knowledge and protection to men through dreams. The zapkei ge, also equipped with circular orbits, are tasked with preventing fires by watching over domestic flames. These masks of different types possess social, spiritual, and political functions, often evolving over time.