DAN and DAN STYLE GAGON MASKS ARCHIVES, Ivory Coast and Liberia
The masks below have been sold and are left here for reference and educational
purposes.
DAN GAGON MASKS, Ivory Coast and Liberia
The mask above has been vetted as being authentic with signs
of use and age.
DAN STYLE GAGON MASKS, Ivory Coast and Liberia
Despite their appearance the masks below were probably made to be sold.
Photographs © Tim Hamill
DAN, GAGON MASKS, Liberia and Ivory Coast
There are regional variations among the masks of the Dan people who live
in the western part of Ivory Coast and eastern Liberia but they are generally
characterized by a concave face, a pointed chin, a protruding mouth, an
upturned nose and a high-domed forehead.
Now used principally in performance for tourists, the various masks had
traditional functions ranging from entertainment to initiation to social
control.
We recommend an excellent chapter on the masks of the Dan people, including
the various styles and their functions, in The Tribal Arts of Africa
by Jean-Baptiste Bacquart.
GAGON MASKS
Masks with a large beak-like form and beard of monkey fur, often with
a moveable lower jaw, are Gagon masks. Originally an educational
mask instructing people on the importance of the hornbill bird to their
culture, they are now used mostly for entertainment.
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