681 - Horned Dan mask with metal fitting, red textile band and fibre beard, Ivory Coast, 20th century

Horned Dan mask with metal fitting, red textile band and fibre beard, Ivory Coast, 20th century Wood, metal, textile, parchment and fibres, Dan mask with two pointed horns and two flat lateral projections, red textile band laid over the eye and nose area, framed by metal plates, eyes as narrow slits with metal framing, slit-shaped mouth with inserted teeth, the mouth framed by parchment, beard of fibres, back hollowed out, used condition commensurate with age, one tooth missing, slightly rubbed in places, 46x23x14 cm (HxWxD) The Dan live in the border region between Ivory Coast and Liberia, which they share with the Wè, Kran and Grebo. Their masks, called gle, embody invisible forest spirits in human facial form and are regarded as spiritually effective even when they are not worn; according to Dan belief, a dancer receives the ability to dance a mask from the mask spirit in a dream. The masks are integrated into the political and religious system of the villages and take on tasks ranging from entertainment and racing to the administration of justice and warfare; respected masks can rise in rank. Fittings of metal, textile and a beard of plant fibres are among the additions with which African dance masks of this region were furnished.