Dan mask. Ivory Coast / Liberia, 20th century

Dan mask. Ivory Coast / Liberia, 20th century.
Carved wood, with dark patina.
Provenance: old private collection (label on the back).
Measurements: 22 x 14 cm.

Dan mask, people settled mainly between Ivory Coast and Liberia, made of carved and patinated wood. It presents an oval face of great formal sobriety, with dark and polished surface, circular pierced eyes, straight nose and mouth marked by protruding lips and carved teeth. The purification of the volumes and the intensity of the expression give the piece a remarkable visual strength.

In Dan culture, masks are not only conceived as sculptural objects, but as spiritual manifestations associated with ritual, social and mediation functions within the community. This specimen responds to the characteristic aesthetics of Dan masks, marked by the balance between formal synthesis, deep patina and restrained expressiveness.

The back part preserves perimeter Punctures destined to the fixation of the attire or textile elements, as well as an old handwritten label that identifies the piece as a Dan / Yacouba mask and refers to a private collection provenance.