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This is the rating and price for Dan Mask Firewatch Mask On Stand Liberia , second half ,20t



Description : Additional Information: This well carved mask is from the Dan people of Liberia. Also known as the Yacuba, the Dan live in politically non-centralized villages and towns ruling themselves through a complex arrangement of family lineages, men&rsquo,s secret societies, and conjunct initiation ceremonies.  ,Masks among the Dan are generally recognized under the term Ge that would roughly equate to our idea of spirits or supernatural beings or forces, most attributed to the forest where the wild spirits live. ,With its forehead stained with reddish-brown cola nut coloring, red cloth covering the eyes and lips, this striking mask is known as  ,Zakpai Ge and is an active and aggressive mask that serves a number of functions. It&rsquo,s primary role is that of a &lsquo,firewatch&rsquo, mask that insures proper use of cooking fires by women. Accompanied by drums it confronts a woman who has been using fire carelessly or a fire much too large for its purpose. It appears in a very aggressive dance and will throw sticks and things about, knock over the cook pot with their meals into the fire and may even beat the women who set the fire to cook. Not a friendly mask at all. It also in some areas serves as a war mask. When used the mask had a cloth wrap around the outer edge that covered the dancer when wearing the mask, in fact it may have been hooked onto the small at the nail at the top of the mask, The remains of Kola nut staining on the forehead is the result of ritual spitting of the cola nut as a sacrificial offering. The holes around the edge of the mask were used to hold a woven netting to keep the mask close to the face during the vigorous &lsquo,dance&rsquo,. This mask shows signs of use and is a classic example of a Dan mask.  , Recommended Reading: E. Donner: Kunst und Handwerk in NO-Liberiaí,, Baessler-Archiv, xxiii/2-3 (1940), pp. 45-110. Harley, G.W., Notes on the Poro in Liberia, Papers of the Peabody Museum, Archaeology &, Ethnology, XIX, No.2 (Cambridge, MA, 1941)  , G. Schwab: Tribes of the Liberian Hinterland, ed. G. W. Harley, Papers Peabody Museum, Archaeology &, Ethnology, xxxi (Cambridge, MA, 1947) Harley, G.W. Masks as Agents of Social Control in Northeast Liberia, Papers of the Peabody Museum, Archaeology &, Ethnology, xxxii, No.2 (Cambridge, MA, 1950) W. Siegmann and Cynthia Schmidt, Rock of the Ancestors, (Suacoco, 1977) E. Fischer and Hans Himmelhaber, The Arts of the Dan in West Africa, (Zurich, 1984)  , I have examined this piece and agree with the description. Niangi Batulukisi, PhD.
Price: 0.00 USD It's free to register now to view!
Estimate (low-high) : 350 USD-450 USD It's free to register now to view!

About the lot N° 85794
Title : Dan Mask Firewatch Mask On Stand Liberia , Period : second half ,20t
Medium : Wood, red Cloth, tin or aluminum
Size : Mask: 9.75 Inches H. x 5.75 inches W. , with stand : 15.25 inches H.
Condition report : Good chipped hairstyle
Africa Direct, auctioneer, Denver, US It's free to register now to view!
Sale title : Africa Art, Mask, Baskets, Statues and more
Sale date : 27 Nov 2016 It's free to register now to view!
Sale Reference : Live Sale

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