Face Mask
1875–1925
- Medium
- Wood, metal, and nails
- Dimensions
- 33.1 × 14 × 26.7 cm (13 × 5 1/2 × 10 1/2 in.)
- Genre
- masks
- Museum
- Art Institute of Chicago
Styles
Tags
crocodileswoodCentral Africaceremonial maskfemaleanimalsnature spiritsmaskswood (plant material)african Artarts of AfricaCoastal West AfricacarvingMaledanhammeringmetal
About
Dan masks can be male, female, or a mixture of both like the one with a crocodile-like muzzle displayed here. They are manifestations of forest spirits that reveal themselves in dreams to sculptors. A naturalistic or stylized embodiment is then created under the direction of the spirit-patron. There are 11 different types of Dan masks, each with different names and meanings recognized by villages on the borders between Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire.