Description
PRODUCT DETAILS + Type of Object - Mask + Country of Origin - Côte d'Ivoire, Liberia + People - Dan + Materials - Wood, fabric, metal bell, beads + Height (in) - 14 + Width (in) - 7.5 + Depth (in) - 4.5 + Other Dimensions - + Overall Condition - Fair to Good. Most of our pieces have spent decades on at least two continents, & have been treasured by several owners. + Damage/Repair - Arrested bug damage on sides & head, frayed string, see photos for details. PRODUCT DESCRIPTION A beautiful mask with the famous protruding lips of the Dan carver. The trader indicated that this mask, with large lips & bells under the chin, represents a singer. This mask is called Deangle or Tangle. Thought to portray a woman it dances in a style thought to be feminine, with gliding steps & graceful movements. Deangle dances for all to see as 'she' entertains & instructs the village in peaceful pursuits. Each Deangle mask reflects the skill of the artist & taste of the patron & while local variations occur there are long established criteria for Deangle that reflect a long standing Dan cultural aesthetics & styles. The Dan in the past lived in small villages & towns ruling themselves through a complex arrangement of family lineages, men's secret societies & various initiation ceremonies. Famous for their masks the Dan believe that spirits of the wild known as Du manifest themselves in masks & masquerades to humans instructing & sustaining them in life. Famous for their masks the Dan believe that spirits, known as Du, live in the untamed forests & manifest themselves to humans in masks & masquerades instructing & sustaining the Dan in life. When during a dream a male was instructed by a 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. HM0822 SKU: 142110 Dan Deangle Mask Singer Côte D'ivoire
