This is a mask made from the Dan people of the Ivory Coast. It features a oval shaped face. There is a vertical line running down the forehead. The eye slits are thin and are painted white. The nose and mouth are protruding out of the mask. There is a headband made of dark colored cloth with cowrie shells affixed to it. The mask has drill holes on either side. Masks are the most important art form of the Dan people. They refer to the masks as gle or ge, which refer to both the physical mark and individual spirits the mask is believed to embody during performances. As all Dan masks are sacred, they do not represent these spirits, they are these spirits.
