African Arts Gallery

The sculptor took up and adapted with talent the traditional elements of the Dan African mask named Déanglé, enlivening it with a realistic physiognomy. Instead of a raffia hairpiece, braids have been sculpted. Black satin patina, abrasions, losses. Height on base: 31 cm.
The Dan masks, of various designs, generally occur during very theatrical entertainment parties where women play a preponderant role. The so-called "mocking" mask called Déanglé defines an ideal of beauty and benevolence because it is sculpted in honor of the young girls of the village or famous men. In general, dan masks also have the particularity of not being representations of bush spirits but of actually being their incarnation. The Dan live in western Côte d'Ivoire, but also in Liberia. Also called Yacouba, they have a powerful initiatory society, that of the Leopard.