Description: This is an antique Dan tribe hand carved and used wood Deangle masquerade mask with a short plant fiber beard, an iron bell on the side of each check and aluminum encircling the eyes and which also features the entire attached fabric, animal hair, cowrie shell and feather headdress. This masquerade mask was collected from the Liberia and Ivory Coast area and was made by the African Dan People to be danced for masquerade by a member of the Dan men's society for the purpose of embodying and bringing in a gle forest spirit to the village for sharing and teaching lessons to the villagers. The Dan people live in the western part of the Ivory Coast and extend into Liberia. This magnificent Dan Deangle mask and the attached headdress is in great antique used condition with staining, wear and a small hole to the fabric and also wear to the feathers which are a little crushed and bent. This beautiful Dan mask and headdress measures 24 inches tall from the bottom chin to the feathers. The wood mask measures 10.25 inches long by 6 inches wide. The entire African mask and headdress which is a one piece specimen and is not detachable weighs 5 pounds.The Dan People of Africa believe in invisible, supernatural spirit forces which live in the forest around them. The Dan believe that these supernatural spirits will enter the civilized world of their village through the ceremony of masquerade. Scholars refer to both the Spirts and the Dan masks by the term of ge and gle interchangeably.In order for a gle to be embodied during a masquerade, an initiated member of a Dan men's society must have a dream that reveals the exact nature of the gle, its intended function, and the masquerade through which the gle would manifest. Once agreed upon by the council of elders if the masquerade costume should be created and danced by the man who received the dream the wooden gle is then carved for that spirit and man and is accompanied by a full body costume of raffia, feathers and fur. It is believed that each gle has its own personality, preferences, dance and speech patterns and is given a personal name. The wearer of the mask takes on all of these qualities during the masquerade and can lose himself to the spirit which was called in. These spirits having come from the deep and mysterious realm of the forest can be unpredictable. Therefore, an attendant always accompanies the gle masquerader to control it and interpret its speech. Gle can be divided into two categories: that of Deangle, which is a gentle, peaceful gle without a gender, but whose qualities are thought of as feminine and that of Bugle, which is the war gle named after the sound of a gunshot, whose qualities are thought of as masculine. The dean gle mask represents an idealized version of Dan beauty. It is characterized by narrow eyes, an oval shape, a smooth forehead, and a mouth slightly open to expose teeth. Dean gle's functions are to teach, entertain and nurture. Bugle masks are designed to frighten. Their eyes are depicted as protruding tubes and the surface of the face has boldly projecting angles.
Price: 850 USD
Location: Williams, Oregon
End Time: 2024-08-06T18:45:24.000Z
Shipping Cost: 50 USD
Product Images
Item Specifics
All returns accepted: ReturnsNotAccepted
Tribe: Dan
Maker: Dan Tribal People
Material: Wood, Fiber, Metal, Shells, Fur, Feathers, Vinyl
Original/Reproduction: Original
Color: Multi-Color
