African Dan Yakuba Guard Mask Small Shells and Bells from the Ivory Coast 1970s

“The Dan (or Yacuba)
This people of farmers live in the mountainous regions of the tree-covered savannahs in the west of the Ivory Coast near the towns of Man and Danane, but also in the neighboring regions of Liberia. They are estimated to number around 350000, of which 270000 live in the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire. They speak a language derived from that of the Mandé group and are therefore regarded as >the Mandé of the South<. Living mainly in villages, they are organized in patrilineal tribal groups and are subject to double exogamy (unions between cousins in the maternal and paternal line are forbidden). In most cases, they have remained faithful to the rites of their ancestors and are familiar with numerous sacred objects, especially masks.”

“Masks with soft, feminine features, narrow eyes and a bulge above the forehead studded with cowries can be assigned to various functions. On the one hand, these masked figures perform dances to entertain the population. Some of these takangles specialized in singing. In their function as singing masks (gle sö), they support the >great mask< (go ge), through which the influential go federation, which fulfills judicial and peacemaking tasks, expresses its authority. On the other hand, this type of mask belongs to the boys’ circumcision camp. These guardian masks (deangle), which serve as mediators between the camp and the village, are often characterized by an eye area painted with kaolin clay, which can also be seen on women during ritual celebrations. This white color is a symbol of joy, but also symbolizes the world of the ancestors.”