Item Information Sheet
About This Piece:
A Dan Deangle (De) mask — the prestige beauty and hospitality mask of the Dan tradition — from the Dan people of the Cote d'Ivoire and Liberia border region. The mask is crowned with a magnificent domed headdress of cowrie shells laid over dense rows of brown seed beads with a white bead accent band, signaling the highest ceremonial rank. Bold red pigment sweeps across the forehead and brows in a heart-shaped widow's peak — a signature Deangle feature representing beauty and vitality. Closed almond eyes rendered in dark lacquer evoke the serenity and feminine composure central to the Deangle spirit, complemented by full dark lips idealizing Dan beauty. A fabric collar-ruff with four spherical wooden pendant balls remains intact — a rare survival of the complete costume assembly. The Deangle is the most celebrated mask in the Dan repertoire: she entertains, nurtures, welcomes important guests, and brings food to initiates in the sacred forest. Her presence is joyful, not fearful.