African Arts Gallery

This African mask Dan named Déanglé, or Tankaglé, offers the regular criteria of Dan productions: concave face, half-closed eyelids, prominent cheekbones and prominent diamond-shaped mouth. Carefully braided plant fibers form its headdress. Glossy black patina.
In the west of Côte d'Ivoire, the Dan masks, of various styles, generally occur during very theatrical entertainment festivals 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. Also used during circumcision rites, they appear in the company of the gle sö singing masks and the large go ge masks relating to the go society, who administers justice and maintains peace.