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Mask
wood
19th century
Dan people
Ivory Coast or Liberia

#africanart #tribalart #handmade #carved #wood #antique #dated19thcentury #danpeople #ivorycoast #liberia #ritualart #dancemask #antiquemask #gle #ge #spirits #forestspirit
Masks are the most important art form of the Dan people of Liberia and the Ivory Coast. The Dan people refer to these masks as gle or ge, terms that refers both to the physical mask and the individual spirits the mask is believed to embody during masquerade performances. Scholars use the terms ge and gle interchangeably to refer both to Dan masks and to invisible, supernatural spirit forces that live in the forest but esteem to enter the civilized world of the village. The only way they can do this, the Dan believe, is through masquerade. In order for a gle to be embodied during a masquerade, an initiated member of a Dan men's society must have a dream that reveals the exact nature of the gle, its intended function, and the masquerade through which the gle would manifest. The council of elders, once they are told of the dream, decides whether the masquerade ensemble should be created for that man to wear and perform.
April 19, 2025 at 6:18 PM