Dan Deangle Mask with Teeth Custom Stand Liberia

This African mask comes from Liberia and the Cote D'Ivoire by the Dan people. This is a classical and well-used mask. This mask retains all the qualities of a beautiful carved mask from this region. The features are beautifully sculpted with attention to the detailing of eyes, nose and mouth. The eyes are decorated with metal sheets. The mouth has prominent lips and shows two teeth. The holes around the mask would have had the costume attached to it to cover and disguise the body of the dancer. The inner side of the mask shows signs of long use by the smoothed surfaces.

This mask is called Deangle or Tangle.

The Deangle mask, in particular, is a type of Dan mask that is associated with the Poro society, which is responsible for educating young men about their social and religious responsibilities. Deangle masks are worn during Poro ceremonies and represent female spirits that are believed to possess supernatural powers. Thought to portray a woman it dances in a style thought to be feminine, with gliding steps and graceful movements. Deangle dances for all to see as ‘she’ entertains and instructs the village in peaceful pursuits. Each Deangle mask reflects the skill of the artist and taste of the patron and while local variations occur there are long established criteria for Deangle that reflect a long standing Dan cultural aesthetics and styles.

The Deangle mask typically features a stylized, elongated face with a high forehead, narrow eyes, and a small, pursed mouth. The mask may also have scarification marks or other decorative elements that symbolize the power and authority of the spirit it represents.

The Dan people believe that the Deangle spirit possesses the power to protect against evil forces and to bring fertility and prosperity to the community. During Poro ceremonies, the mask is worn by a male dancer who performs intricate dance movements to honor the spirit and seek its blessings.

The Dan in the past lived in small villages and towns ruling themselves through a complex arrangement of family lineages, men’s secret societies and various initiation ceremonies. Famous for their masks the Dan believe that spirits of the wild known as Du manifest themselves in masks and masquerades to humans instructing and sustaining them in life. Famous for their masks the Dan believe that spirits, known as Du, live in the untamed forests and manifest themselves to humans in masks and masquerades instructing and sustaining the Dan in life. When during a dream a male was instructed by a Du to dance a mask, he would commission a carver to make a mask for him. Among the Dan, masks are grouped in an assortment of forms with different duties assigned to each.

Dan masks are a type of African mask used by the Dan people of Liberia, Côte d'Ivoire, and Guinea. They are characterized by their elongated faces, high foreheads, and narrow eyes, often with a protruding ridge running down the center of the forehead.

The Dan in the past lived in small villages and towns ruling themselves through a complex arrangement of family lineages, men’s secret societies and various initiation ceremonies. Famous for their masks the Dan believe that spirits of the wild known as Du manifest themselves in masks and masquerades to humans instructing and sustaining them in life. Famous for their masks the Dan believe that spirits, known as Du, live in the untamed forests and manifest themselves to humans in masks and masquerades instructing and sustaining the Dan in life. When during a dream a male was instructed by a Du to dance a mask, he would commission a carver to make a mask for him. Among the Dan, masks are grouped in an assortment of forms with different duties assigned to each.

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