A Dan Yacouba mask, Touba region, Ivory Coast, incl stand. This wooden face mask has a highly architectural composition: a very high, domed forehead divided by a median ridge, thin eye slits inscribed beneath elongated arches, a powerful nose with projecting nostrils, and a wide-open mouth. Light-colored elements, fixed in the oral cavity, suggest dentition or added ornamentation. The brownish-black surface, locally glossy, contrasts with the matte and abraded areas that emphasize the geometric design of the face. A thick headdress of braided fibers envelops the skullcap and extends into two long lateral strands, while a beard of plant fibers is attached to the lower edge. Cords, rows of black beads, colored textile fragments, and small pendants complete this assemblage. The hollowed-out reverse, the eye openings, and the peripheral perforations confirm that this is a mask intended to be worn with a now-extinct costume; the visible metal stand is a modern museum display. The name "Dan-Yacouba" combines the name Dan with Yacouba, a term historically used in French-language documentation from Côte d'Ivoire to designate these populations established on both sides of the Ivorian-Liberian border. In Dan traditions, masks are not simply portraits: they give visible presence to spiritual powers and are integrated into a hierarchical system of religious, judicial, protective, or recreational performances, conducted by male bearers. The narrow eyes and overall facial balance recall the aesthetics of certain Dan masks described as "gentle" or peaceful, but the open mouth, teeth, beard, and abundant fiber adornment may signal a more specific performative identity. Differences between Dan mask and Dan-Yacuba scultures and masks Dan Sculpture/Masks: Generally characterized by smooth, polished wooden surfaces with a natural or dark patina. facial features often include almond-shaped eyes, a slightly protruding mouth, and a calm or mysterious expression.Faces are usually oval or heart-shaped with a smooth, flowing contour. Scarification marks and other body markings are common motifs. Dan-Yacouba sculpture/Masks: Tend to have bolder, sometimes more angular features.They may incorporate additional materials such as beads, raffia, or fabric.The shapes can be more varied, sometimes featuring prominent foreheads or other exaggerated facial features.Surface treatments may differ, with some sculptures showing more texture or intricate carving. "Among the Northern Dan, especially in the area of the Dent du Man mountain range, these fire-controlling masks are relatively common. They wear face masks which have been painted red or are covered with red cloth. They are equipped with round eye-holes which are smaller than those of -gunyege-, the race mask, as no one is supposed to recognize the man who performs the daytime duties of the -zapkei- maquerade". Lit.: Eberhard Fischer/Hans Himmelheber: The Arts of the Dan in West Africa, Museum Rietberg, 1984, p.44-45; Hans Himmelheber: Masken der We und Dan - Elfenbeinküste, Museum Rietberg, Zürich, 1997; Eberhard Fischer: Meisterbildhauer der Dan im 20. Jahrhundert. Some of the information is generated by artificial intelligence and is based on published sources from the fields of ethnography, archaeology, and art history. Informant: Bakari Bouaflé Invt. No. MAZ20407