Dan Artist

Fire or Racer’s Mask, Côte D'Ivoire

sagbwe or gunyege

Wood, metal, semi-glossy black patina with encrustations

Presumed period: Late 19th/early 20th century

Height 9 ½ inches (24cm)

Provenance

Noble & Jean Endicott Collection, New York

Michael Oliver, New York

Private Collection, acquired from the above in 2002

A harmonious example of arguably the most recognizable mask type created by the Dan, the artist has hollowed the mask in hard wood, piercing the edges with square holes with an additional row of circular holes at the chin, presumably for attaching a beard for its performance. The large, circular pierced eyes are representative of both the fire (sagbwe) and racer (gunyege) masks, both widely used throughout the Dan culture in the past. Each eye has four small pin holes around the circumference and impressions indicating it had applied metal bands during its use. The domed forehead is pierced in the center with a nail, the eyebrows arched and subtle, the nose has flared nostrils and projects equal distance to the protruding mouth, pierced through, the upper lip with an incised philtrum. A row of three parallel curvilinear incised lines borders the face on each side, enhancing its animation. A collector’s number “6064” is written in white ink on the lower back rim.