Dan mask. Ivory Coast, 20th century

Dan mask. Ivory Coast, 20th century.
Wood and iron
Measurements: 22 cm (height).

The Dan are a subtribe belonging to the Dan-Nguere. They live in eastern Liberia, Guinea Conakry and western Ivory Coast. The social and spiritual base of the Dan-Nguere is the secret society Poro, which in the Temné language means "saw". Dan-Nguere masks are characterized both by their variety and by the fact that the same type of mask can be used in different areas for different purposes.
Female Dan masks are known for the importance they give to the beauty of the face: oval shape, somewhat pumped forehead, slanted eyes, thin nose and half-open mouth.
This is not the case with male faces, more realistic and sometimes with zoomorphic details. They contain the vital force, called "du", sent by Zlan the creator, both to men and animals. The du are numerous, and they manifest themselves to the living through dreams to tell them how they want to be represented. Sometimes they only demand that a fetish be made for them or that a tree be planted, but they may also ask for a mask in which to reside. Then, the spirit materializes and is transformed into a "gle", with direct intervention in the life of the group. To each gle corresponds a function, and presides over the different social events. It is also present in moments of danger or amusement. For this reason, there is a great variety of Dan masks.