Litton Lane Large Hand-Carved Baobab Wood, Chicken Feathers and Cowrie Shell Dan Mask on Stand

Masks are the most coveted art form for the Dan tribe of the Ivory Coast, representing the most powerful embodiment of spiritual forces, called gle. Like dii, gle inhabit the dark forest, longing to enter and participate in the ordered world of the village but, being invisible, cannot until a mask is interpreted from a dream, described to the elders, then made. The carver sculpts the wooden mask with baobab wood and adorns with chicken feathers, cowrie shells, and cloth. The mask is worn by the carver with attire that includes forest materials such as raffia, feathers, and fur, all representing the gle. Socially, these masks are the means of bringing control and order to village life, providing the strongest impressions of a young Dan person's earliest and most important experiences.