Title:
Dan Female Dance Mask
Object Name:
Mask, Dance, Ritual
Other Name:
Mask, Female, Face, Possibly Dan
Place of Origin:
Dan, Guinea / Ivory Coast / Liberia, Africa
Provenance:
Aboriginal Indigenous Art.
According to the Guy Mace collection list, this is a Congo mask. No other information provided.
Dan people have achieved notoriety for their entertainment festivals, which were village ceremonies, but are today performed largely for important visitors. During these festivals, masked performers dance on stilts. The go master, the head of the like—named society possesses the masks and guards them in a sacred hut. All Dan masks are sacred; they do not represent spirits of the wilderness, they are these spirits. Dan masks are characterized by a concave face, a protruding mouth, high—domed forehead and are often covered in a rich brown patina. There are a variety of Dan face masks, each of which has a different function. They may be the intermediaries, who acts between the village and the forest initiation camp, may act against bush fires during the dry season, used in pre—war ceremonies, for peace—making ceremonies, for entertainment. Over time, many among them have lost their original function and have been recycled into contexts related to entertainment, emerging only for festivals or events organized for visitors. Nonetheless, the great masks live on, their even more rare appearances being reserved for times of tension, when it is important they may exercise their role of social control and their faculty to reduce conflict or settle legal wrangles.
According to the Guy Mace collection list, this is a Congo mask. No other information provided.
Dan people have achieved notoriety for their entertainment festivals, which were village ceremonies, but are today performed largely for important visitors. During these festivals, masked performers dance on stilts. The go master, the head of the like—named society possesses the masks and guards them in a sacred hut. All Dan masks are sacred; they do not represent spirits of the wilderness, they are these spirits. Dan masks are characterized by a concave face, a protruding mouth, high—domed forehead and are often covered in a rich brown patina. There are a variety of Dan face masks, each of which has a different function. They may be the intermediaries, who acts between the village and the forest initiation camp, may act against bush fires during the dry season, used in pre—war ceremonies, for peace—making ceremonies, for entertainment. Over time, many among them have lost their original function and have been recycled into contexts related to entertainment, emerging only for festivals or events organized for visitors. Nonetheless, the great masks live on, their even more rare appearances being reserved for times of tension, when it is important they may exercise their role of social control and their faculty to reduce conflict or settle legal wrangles.
Description:
Oval—shaped wooden female face mask, with long protruding triangular—shaped nose, under small pierced slit eyes, in concave orbits. Slightly protruding central forehead area over eyes. Slightly protruding circular lips coming to a point under nose. Long black and red, cloth and woven grass hat, adorns top and sides of head and continues up to a long point over top of head. Circular metal adornments form three rows along left, right and center of hat. Black patina covering entire facial surface.
Collection:
Guy Mace Collection, (Turblex Company)
Material:
Wood W/Patina Cloth, Metal and Woven Grass
Used:
Ritually Used
Technique:
Carving / Weaving / Painting
Owned:
Art Department, Missouri Southern State University
Accession#:
2015.2.54
Click to Enlarge
Front View
Front View - 2
Front View - 3
Right Side View
Left Side View
Rear View
Front View
Front View - 2
Front View - 3
Right Side View
Left Side View
Rear View