African Arts Gallery

Actor of the social order, the African mask Dan would be, according to Eberhard Fisher, of feminine or masculine type. In the category of zapkei masks, this racing mask often lined with red textile is here pierced with round pupils largely surrounded.
Braided raffia features dense hair and a realistic beard. Matte black patina.
The masks equipped with round orbits (named gunyeya or gunye ge), facilitating vision, are part of the set of Dan masks northern and are used for racing events during the dry season. The zapkei gego ge, a royal mask reserved for exceptional events. The squinted-eyed "danglé", embodying an ideal of beauty, plays an active role between the initiation camp and the village. ref. : "Art of Sub-Saharan Africa" ​​C. Mullen Kreamer; "Black African Tribal Art" J.B. Bacquart.