Dan African Tribal Ceremonial Mask With Letter of Guarantee for Sale

Dan African Tribal Ceremonial Mask With Letter of Guarantee For Sale

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Dan African Tribal Ceremonial Mask With Letter of Guarantee:
$275.00

This African Tribal Ceremonial Mask is a truly unique and authentic piece, perfect for any collector or enthusiast of African culture. Crafted with great skill and attention to detail, this mask showcases the intricate and vibrant designs of African tribal art.

With a Letter of Guarantee included, you can be sure that this piece is a genuine representation of African tribal culture. Whether you display it in your home or add it to your collection, this mask is sure to be a conversation starter and a stunning addition to any space.

With the Dan, we are on the frontiers of Liberia and The Ivory Coast, a region where masks are strongly developed. The Dan were so influential that the masks of the tribes on their outer frontiers - the Diomande, Tura, Gia and Kru - reveal strong Dan characteristics. The variety of styles that developed due to reciprocal influence in this relatively small area (not much larger than Holland) is incredible.

The classic Dan Mask succeeds in expressing the spirit of the human face in noble form, and is perhaps the type that combines all of the essential elements of African art in its purest form. These dark, smoothly polished masks are almost oval, with convex forehead and pointed chin. The nose and protruding thick lips are very naturalistically carved. The mouth may be closed, but if open it is in the shape of a lozenge.

The masks, worn by men may have large round eyeholes, often with slightly raised rims, while the eyeholes of the female masks are usually only narrow slits. The lids may be emphasized by an applied narrow strip of tin. This type of mask represents the northern dans style, which forms the original nucleus

The dark color of the mask is achieved by insertion in a mud bath. Some masks are partly or even completely covered with chewed kola nut with red vegetable dye. For the dance, these masks are decked out with feathers, glass, beads, and small brass bells, and the dancers wear grotesque costumes of colored cloth and Rafia cloaks Giving them especially in the stilt dance unimpressive character.

Each one of these anthropomorphic masks has a name and is used at several rituals of the Poro society. They represent ancestors in the function of teachers. At the same time they may represent avengers or village guards.