Face masks

Dark, lustrous oval face masks remain ubiquitous symbols of Dan identity in contemporary Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire. Their creation and performance allow invisible, immaterial forces to participate in human affairs. A mask spirit (ge or gle, literally, “mysterious being”) may appear to an individual in his dreams to request that a mask be commissioned. Such spirits are said to provide specifications relating to their desired costume, choreography, musical accompaniment, and name. The material manifestation of a benevolent ge like Deangle, who collects food for initiation camps, often has narrow, almond-shaped eyes and other attributes understood as feminine. Masks carved with animal features, considered masculine, typically embody more aggressive energies. Over the course of a face mask’s life, it may take on the persona of different spirits and undergo alterations to reflect its evolving identity.