African Art

Mask (Deangle), 19th century
Wood, cowry shells, raffia, fiber, metal, and white pigment
Unknown Dan artist
Liberia/Ivory Coast
Museum purchase, Museum Members’ Fund 1968.45

In Africa, men are the primary performers of masquerades. Masquerades give spirits visual form—they are not simply men wearing masks and costumes in a dramatic play. In communities where masking takes place, it is often associated with the education of young men in proper male behavior and responsibilities. This education often occurs in sacred initiation camps off-limits to the uninitiated.

According to the Dan people, a mask and the costume worn with it make a spirit tangible. This smoothly carved mask is a deangle mask, a word meaning “dancing, miming masquerade.” It usually appears during ceremonial circumcisions of boys, and its feminine appearance stands-in for their mothers and reassures them that they will be all right. The kind of spirit reflected by this mask type may have one of several different roles: reassurance, provision of food, fine dancing and singing, or amusement.

In addition to the mask, Dan costumes include fiber skirts, which symbolize the bush where spirits live, and cloth capes, which symbolize the human realm. Cowry shells on this mask are associated with prosperity, while the white band across the eyes reflects the white cosmetic Dan women wear on special occasions.