Dan, Ivory Coast, Liberia: An unusual face or passport mask of the ‘deangle’ type'.
Among the Dan people men wear these ‘Deangle masks’ to take care of and look after the Dan young boys during their initiation in an isolated bush camp. The same men who perform their task, or dance at feasts, with these ‘Deangle masks’, also own small, flat miniature or passport masks of this type as their personal property. Such miniature versions serve as ‘identification’ or as a form of legitimation on travels. It is not clear whether the present '‘Deangle mask’' was an actually worn face mask or a passport mask instead. It is an unusual piece carved in hard wood and dyed black. Unusual are also its 'hairstyle' as well as the eyes edged with red velvet. Since this mask is visibly flat on the backside and it does not display any signs of patina as a result of long-term wearing, it is likely to have been used as a passport mask. Despite this, on the front side it has a good, old shiny patina, with small age damage (some pieces broken off, also at the lower margin on the back). First half of the 20th century; H: 21 cm. (ME)
Provenance: Austrian collection.
Specialist: Erwin Melchardt
Erwin Melchardt
+43-1-515 60-465
erwin.melchardt@dorotheum.at
24.03.2014 - 16:00
- Estimate:
-
EUR 3,000.- to EUR 3,400.-
Dan, Ivory Coast, Liberia: An unusual face or passport mask of the ‘deangle’ type'.
Among the Dan people men wear these ‘Deangle masks’ to take care of and look after the Dan young boys during their initiation in an isolated bush camp. The same men who perform their task, or dance at feasts, with these ‘Deangle masks’, also own small, flat miniature or passport masks of this type as their personal property. Such miniature versions serve as ‘identification’ or as a form of legitimation on travels. It is not clear whether the present '‘Deangle mask’' was an actually worn face mask or a passport mask instead. It is an unusual piece carved in hard wood and dyed black. Unusual are also its 'hairstyle' as well as the eyes edged with red velvet. Since this mask is visibly flat on the backside and it does not display any signs of patina as a result of long-term wearing, it is likely to have been used as a passport mask. Despite this, on the front side it has a good, old shiny patina, with small age damage (some pieces broken off, also at the lower margin on the back). First half of the 20th century; H: 21 cm. (ME)
Provenance: Austrian collection.
Specialist: Erwin Melchardt
Erwin Melchardt
+43-1-515 60-465
erwin.melchardt@dorotheum.at
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| Auction: | Tribal Art |
| Auction type: | Saleroom auction |
| Date: | 24.03.2014 - 16:00 |
| Location: | Vienna | Palais Dorotheum |
| Exhibition: | 18.03. - 24.03.2014 |