Dan Face Mask Toothy, Mustache, African Start Price USD 290.00 Current Price USD 290.00 Time Left - Bid Count 3 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Tuesday, July 15, 2008 End Time Tuesday, July 22, 2008 Location Denver, CO See more about ' Dan Face Mask Toothy, Mustache, African' Description Title: Dan Face Mask Toothy, Mustache, Liberia, African STAND NOT INCLUDED!Type of Object: Face maskEthnic Group: DanCountry of Origin: Liberia, Cote d'IvoireMaterials: Wood, encrustation, hide, animal toothApproximate Age: mid 20th centuryDimensions: 9.5 inchesOverall Condition: Good Damage, Repair: Patina scrubbed in places, chips in lips and bottom of mask. Additional Information: This classical style mask comes from the Dan people of Liberia. Famous for their masks, the Dan believe that spirits, known as Du, live in the untamed forests and manifest themselves to humans in masks and masquerades instructing and sustaining the Dan in life. When during a dream a male was instructed by Du to dance a mask, he would commission a carver to make a mask for him. Among the Dan, masks are grouped in an assortment of forms with different duties assigned to each. This mask with its slightly oval shape, mouth fitted with two animal teeth, hide in place of mustache, and encrusted surface is a variant of the well known Deangle or Tangle mask. Each Deangle mask reflects the skill of the artist and taste of the patron and while local variations occur there are long established criteria for Deangle that reflect a long standing Dan cultural aesthetics and styles.Further Reading: E. Donner: Kunst und Handwerk in NO-Liberiaí, Baessler-Archiv, xxiii/2-3 (1940), pp. 45-110.G. Schwab: Tribes of the Liberian Hinterland, ed. G. W. Harley, Papers Peabody Museum, Archaeology & Ethnology, xxxi (Cambridge, MA, 1947)E. Fischer and Hans Himmelhaber; The Arts of the Dan in West Africa, (Zurich, 1984)E. Fischer; “Dan Forest Spirits: Masks in Dan Villages”, African Arts, II, no. 2, 1978. pp. 16-23, 94I have examined this piece and agree with the descriptionNiangi Batulukisi, Ph.D. **039638** All content, including pictures, Copyright Africa Direct Inc., 2006 Add Us To Your Favorite Sellers! Please visit our About Us page. SquareTrade © AP6.0 PesaMember Place a Bid!