DAN and DAN STYLE GAGON MASKS ARCHIVES, Ivory Coast and Liberia


The masks below have been sold and are left here for reference and educational purposes.

DAN GAGON MASKS, Ivory Coast and Liberia

 

 DAN
Gagon Mask 474
11" high
SOLD

The mask above has been vetted as being authentic with signs of use and age.

DAN STYLE GAGON MASKS, Ivory Coast and Liberia

Despite their appearance the masks below were probably made to be sold.

 

 DAN STYLE
Gagon Mask 472
19"
SOLD

 DAN STYLE
Gagon Mask 476
16"
SOLD

 DAN STYLE
Gagon Mask 477
19"
SOLD

 

DAN
Gagon
Mask 471
SOLD

 

DAN
Gagon
Mask 473
SOLD
 

  

DAN
Gagon
Mask 475
SOLD
 

  DAN
Gagon
Mask 478
SOLD

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.

GO TO DAN GAGON MASK PAGE

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