Description:

West Africa, Ivory Coast / Liberia, Dan, Poro Society, ca. earely to mid 20th century CE. A hand carved Dan Poro society mask with bold features including openwork round eyes with raised surrounds, an oversized nose, and a fabulous dark hair beard. According to Africanist William Hommel, a professor at the University of Central Oklahoma, "Poro society masks can have many functions within the society. Those with large features are often associated with the trainers of the young men for their adult responsibilities before initiation. They are designed to be frightening to keep the initiates under control." (http://library.uco.edu/archives/artworks/African3rdfloor/ThirdFloorExhibit2.html

As is characteristic of most Dan masks, the face of this Poro mask is concave with a high domed forehead, and a pointed, jutting chin beneath the beard. The Dan people, who live in Liberia and Cote d'Ivoire, produce masks for nearly every element or occasion of their society, including education, war, peace, and entertainment. In Mande, the Dan language, masks are referred to as "gle" or "ge", which is also the term for the supernatural beings who live outside the village and who can inhabit the masks during ritual practice.

A wonderful Dan mask, one of the most important forms of visual culture created by the Dan peoples with an attractive patina that has developed over the years. Size: mask from forehead to tip of beard measures 6.25" W x 19" H (15.9 cm x 48.3 cm)

Provenance: Ex Peter Arnovick Collection

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#112261

  • Condition: Intact with inactive worm holes and minor but expected surface wear. Overall very good.

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May 12, 2016 8:00 AM MDT
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