Origin: Cote d'Ivoire, Dan ethnic group

Dating: the 90s of the 20^th  century

Signature: MŻo/A/3560

Description:

 The Dan people's masks were made by artists under the supervision of priests. Traditionally, any adult man can own these type of mask, but the decision to use them is made by the priest. The power of the mask depends on the social rank of the owner and is accumulated by the mask.

The purchase of the masks collection was subsidized by the National Institute for Museums and Public Collections.

Literature:

Bacquart Jean-Baptiste, 2010, The Tribal Arts of Africa, London: Thames&Hudson.

Bodrogi Tibor, 1968, Sztuka Afryki, Wrocław: Zakład Narodowy im. Ossolińskich – Wydawnictwo.

Hahner Iris, Maria Kecskési, László Vajda, 2007, African Masks. The Barbier-Mueller Collection, Munich-Berlin-London-New York: Prestel.

Picton John, 1999, West Africa and the Guinea Coast, in: Phillips Tom (ed.) – Africa. The art of a continent, Munich-Berlin-London-New York: Prestel, pp. 327-477.

Trojan Alina, 1973, Sztuka Czarnej Afryki, Warszawa: Wiedza Powszechna.