A mask attributed to the Dan cultural sphere and collected in the region of Kouhibly, in present-day western Côte d’Ivoire, offers a compelling example of the synthesis of aesthetic refinement and spiritual function characteristic of Upper Guinea Coast masquerade traditions. Dan masks, broadly understood within the larger complex of Mande-speaking societies, are not merely sculptural artifacts but animate presences activated through performance, costume, and social context. The present example, distinguished by its elaborate surface embellishment—cowrie shells, brass bells, bluish beads, and inserted metal teeth—suggests a layered semiotic program that extends beyond canonical typologies of Dan carving. Incl stand. The formal structure of Dan masks often centers on an idealized face: high forehead, narrow chin, and downcast or tubular eyes, features associated with spiritual composure and moral authority. However, the addition of materials such as cowrie shells and bells introduces both visual and auditory dimensions that complicate the mask’s classification. Cowrie shells, historically linked to wealth, fertility, and spiritual protection across West Africa, signal not only status but also an invocation of abundance and ancestral sanction. Their placement on the mask’s surface may be read as apotropaic, creating a protective field that mediates between performer and audience, human and spirit. Brass bells affixed to the composition further emphasize the performative activation of the object. In motion, these elements produce sound, transforming the mask into a multisensory instrument. Within Dan masquerade traditions, sound is integral to the manifestation of the spirit, marking presence, regulating movement, and heightening the affective atmosphere of the performance. The bells thus operate not as decorative adjuncts but as functional components that extend the mask’s agency into the acoustic domain. The presence of bluish beads or pearls introduces a chromatic accent that contrasts with the typically dark patina of Dan wood carving. Blue, while less frequently documented in traditional Dan palettes, may indicate trade materials acquired through regional exchange networks, reflecting historical entanglements with coastal commerce and trans-Saharan routes. Such materials complicate notions of stylistic purity, underscoring the adaptive and incorporative nature of Dan artistic practice. The beads’ luminosity would have interacted dynamically with light during performance, enhancing the mask’s visual potency. Perhaps most striking is the inclusion of metal teeth, an intervention that alters the physiognomy of the mask in a manner that suggests aggression, vigilance, or liminality. Metal, as a material associated with transformation and durability, may imbue the mask with additional symbolic force. The teeth, in particular, could signify the capacity of the spirit to enforce social norms or to traverse boundaries between the human and non-human realms. Such features resonate with broader West African traditions in which hybridization and material juxtaposition serve to articulate complex spiritual identities. The geographic attribution to Kouhibly situates the object within a specific micro-region known for stylistic diversity and cross-cultural interaction among Dan, Wé, and related groups. This context invites caution against rigid ethnic classification, as masks often circulate, are reworked, or are commissioned across community boundaries. The assemblage of materials on this mask may therefore reflect not only local innovation but also broader regional dialogues in form and meaning. In sum, this Dan mask exemplifies the dynamic interplay between carved form and additive materials, between visual presence and performative activation. Its composite nature challenges reductive readings and instead foregrounds the mask as a site of negotiation—between tradition and innovation, local identity and external influence, materiality and spirit. As such, it occupies a significant position within the study of West African masquerade arts, inviting continued attention to the ways in which objects embody and enact cultural knowledge. References Cole, Herbert M. and Ross, Doran H. The Arts of Ghana. Los Angeles: Museum of Cultural History, University of California, 1977. Fischer, Eberhard and Himmelheber, Hans. The Art of the Dan in West Africa. Zurich: Museum Rietberg, 1984. Vandenhoute, Claude. Masques Dan et Guéré de Côte d’Ivoire. Brussels: Musée Royal de l’Afrique Centrale, 1989. Vogel, Susan Mullin. Dan: Masks of the Ivory Coast. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1980. Roberts, Mary Nooter and Roberts, Allen F. A Saint in the City: Sufi Arts of Urban Senegal. Los Angeles: UCLA Fowler Museum of Cultural History, 2003. CAB45237