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This is the rating and price for African Dan Wood Dance Mask



Description : West Africa, Liberia and Cote d'Ivoire, Dan peoples, ca. late 19th to mid-20th century CE. A fabulous and handsome example of a ceremonial dance mask, all hand-carved from lustrous, espresso-hued wood. The ovoid face bears a pair of circular eyes, cut into thick raised rims, a wide nose, and pursed lips with a central perforation. Prominent ridges highlight the V-shaped lines above the lips, nasal ridge, and extend vertically across the brow and chin. The forehead bulges slightly outwards above the face, and the peripheries are lined with several perforations for attaching a larger costume. Size: 10 L x 6.5 W (25.4 cm x 16.5 cm), 14.5 H (36.8 cm) on included custom stand. The Dan people, who live in Liberia and Cote d'Ivoire, produce masks for nearly every element or occasion of their society, including education, war, peace, and entertainment. In Mande, the Dan language, masks are referred to as gle or ge, which is also the term for the supernatural beings who live outside the village and who can inhabit the masks during ritual practices. Men may have dreams or visions sent by the mask which they interpret through dance. There are over a dozen different characters that the masks represent in skits and mimes, but the meaning of the masks and personalities they portray may change over time as the mask is handed down through the generations. This particular example may be a gunye ge (gunyege), whose mask is worn by a foot racer in competitions. For a similar example please see the Metropolitan Museum of Art's website, accession number: 1985.420.2. Provenance: private New York, New York, USA collection, ex-Thomas Slater collection, Texas, USA, ex-Robert Berg collection, California, USA All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance), we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm. Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping. #170821
Price: 0.00 USD It's free to register now to view!
Estimate (low-high) : 2200 USD-3300 USD It's free to register now to view!

About the lot N° 148B
Title : African Dan Wood Dance Mask
Size : 10 L x 6.5 W (25.4 cm x 16.5 cm)
Condition report : Stable pressure fissures and surface abrasions as expected with age and use. Chip to forehead and 2 perforations above the right eye rim and under the nose nostril area. Beautiful smooth and lustrous patina throughout. Old inventory label on interior surface.
Artemis Gallery, auctioneer, Louisville, US It's free to register now to view!
Sale title : Exceptional Antiquities Ethnographic Fine Art
Sale date : 14 Jul 2022 It's free to register now to view!
Sale Reference : Live Sale

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