△ Dan mask, Ivory Coast - Liberia - Lot 22

△ Dan mask, Ivory Coast - Liberia Brown patina wood, cowries, white beads H. 25 cm Provenance : - Loed Van Bussel Collection (Étude Jutheau, June 25, 1996, no. 38) The very many masks belonging to the Dan culture embody protective spirits and all have a sacred character, even when they take part in secular festivities. The forehead of this beautiful mask is high and domed, separated in two by a vertical bead extending the nasal ridge, and adorned laterally with two rows of garlanded scarification marks. The eyes, simply slitted, are highlighted by harmonious eyebrows. The long, slender nose descends to the precisely drawn mouth. The volume of the cheekbones is delicately indicated. The patina on the back is the result of being carried and used in ritual dances... An old inventory number is inscribed in white gouache: AM.025. Beyond its superb plasticity, the importance of this mask is confirmed by the addition of a precious cowrie shell headdress and four rows of white pearls framing its face.