Dance mask - Dan - Côte d’Ivoire

A small wooden mask with beautiful patina. The forehead is slightly bulbous and large with arching eyelids above the pierced elongated eye holes. The nose is slightly snub shaped and has flaring nostrils. The mouth is small and has fleshy lips. Mounted on a custom made stand. The name “passport” for these masks comes from the fact that they were used for identification purposes during rituals. They are miniature copies of larger masks that are kept by the family, and enable the person carrying or wearing it as an amulet, to have a spiritual connection embodied in the parent mask. They are used to invoke benevolent spirits during the meetings of various secret societies, and they demand offerings, usually in the form of a libation. Provenance: Private Collection, France

Estimate:£921.34

View all items fromCatawikiorEthnographical