Click on a name to see a larger image.
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The mask above has been vetted as being authentic with signs of use and age.
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The masks below have been sold and are left here for reference and educational
purposes.
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Photographs © Tim Hamill
DAN, GAGON MASKS, Liberia and Ivory Coast
There are regional variations among the masks of the Dan people who live in the western part of Ivory Coast and eastern Liberia but they are generally characterized by a concave face, a pointed chin, a protruding mouth, an upturned nose and a high-domed forehead.
Now used principally in performance for tourists, the various masks had traditional functions ranging from entertainment to initiation to social control.
We recommend an excellent chapter on the masks of the Dan people, including the various styles and their functions, in The Tribal Arts of Africa by Jean-Baptiste Bacquart.
GAGON MASKS
Masks with a large beak-like form and beard of monkey fur, often with a moveable lower jaw, are Gagon masks. Originally an educational mask instructing people on the importance of the hornbill bird to their culture, they are now used mostly for entertainment.
RETURN TO MASKS OF THE DAN EXHIBITION PAGE
GO TO DAN MASKS AND HEADDRESSES PAGE
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