Passport Mask

Gogon, Dan, Côte d’Ivoire
Early 20th C.
Provenance: Franco Monti, Milan, acquired in the 1950’s.

Produced for personal use, passport masks replicate masks worn in dance performances in West African societies. Carried on the person, these masks act as powerful charms and protective agents. This Gogon mask exhibits avian characteristics, such as small closely set eyes and a beaked nose. The fiber beard is a rare feature, while the mask’s patina is heavily worn, giving it a rich texturized surface. A similar example can be found in Eberhard Fischer and Hans Himmelheber’s book, Die Kunst der Dan, fig. 139.

Height: 4 in Mask; 9 in w Beard.
IN 08-01-15 / SOLD