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OLD Dan Maou Koma Bird Antique African Judgement MASK
An Extraordinary OLD Northern Dan Mau KOMA BA Bird Judgement Mask Antique African Art - Tribal Masque - Liberia to Cote d'Ivoire
Collected from the: Northern Dan peoples of Liberia to Cote d'Ivoire, West Africa. Also used by the neighboring Dan Maou (Mau). Material: Carved wood, skin oil, sacrificial encrustation Period: Later 19th to earliest 20th century Dimensions: 16.5" height, 6.25" width, 3.5" depth; weight is 1.25 pounds Condition: Exquisite. This museum quality specimen hails from a prestigious Houston collection, spectacular signs of age and wear from authentic tribal use, age crack and nicks test stable, wear exposed wood displays significant patination. Make special note of the dramatic presentation, expert execution of form, perfect symmetry, heavily encrusted patina and superb surface condition. Deep chocolate mud-soaked patina on smooth, nonporous surface, wear exposed wood at interior center and sides, rim edge and high points, substantial encrustation exhibits beautifully burnished skin oil residue indicative of frequent handling and extensive performance wear. Superior quality clearly marks this spectacular specimen as the obvious creation of a master Dan carver and an important example of this rare Dan Mauo form !
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Dan Maou KOMA BA Judiciary Bird Masks The Dan Maou (Mau) people occupied the northwestern region of the Dan territory and carved large face masks with long, curved beaks jutting down from the chin used in conjunction with their Koma society. The Koma men's association was active among the Maou and spread as far north as the Wobe and into the far northern Dan region. Koma ba masks were fed with or given sacrificial libations intended to combat destructive forces. These repetitive libations consisted primarily of dog's blood, resulting in a build up of heavy encrustation over the years. Mask wearers were protected from malevolent forces by horns filled with magical medicinal substances on the mask's forehead. This mask was feared by all tribal populations where it existed as it was worn to denounce spell casters and held a judiciary function. Koma ba masks were often gripped by the snout-like handle and held in front of the face for performance. When not in performance use, the masks were often "planted" in front of the dwelling for protection or, traditionally, on the earthen altar to protect the household and its members and while receiving their frequent "feedings" of sacrificial libations to increase their power. Dan Maou masks can also be recognized by their distinctive, precisely incised grooved edges.
Dan Mask Traditions and Use The Dan had a great number of masked figures who represented spirits of the bush and fulfilled a variety of social, political and religious functions. According to Eberhard Fischer and Hans Himmelheber, eleven types of Dan masks can be distinguished by formal criteria. This does not imply, however, that the types could then be associated with specific functions because the meanings of masks changed over time. A discussion of the different forms and functions of Dan masquerades is far too confused to be accommodated by any clear cut classification. Since the masqueraders and masks often changed their roles during the course of their careers, it is possible that an old, respected mask of any category might become a Gunangle a village quarter mask or a Gle wa judicial mask. In addition, the Go society could take over any masquerade and then adapt its roles accordingly. In light of such functional fluctuations it would not be feasible to assign a definite status to any face which was divorced from its masquerade context and isolated in a collection. Even the generalizations advanced toward the ascription of gender according to the shape of its eyes can not be applied to stringently. Although the choice to carve narrow or tubular eyes may have undoubtedly been colored by symbolic and aesthetic considerations, there were practical factors involved as well. Masqueraders performing roles which brought them in close contact with women would have worn masks designed to maintain the anonymity of the wearer with narrow-eyed, feminine style masks that fit very close to the face which allowed the wearer to see quite satisfactorily without being seen himself. The long tubular eyes of the masculine mask styles served to conceal the wearer's face still more, but they afforded only a restricted field of vision so that the movements of the wearer were by necessity slower than those of other performers. Gunyege and Zakpei roles demanded very clear vision, resulting in masks with large, round eyeholes, although those of the racing masquerade were usually larger than those of the anonymous fire-prevention performance. There were even a few extremely large masks, known as dega duye gle or look-through-the-mouth, designed so that the wearer saw through the large, open mouth. After all the aesthetic, symbolic and practical decisions of carving were made, the sculptor still strived to attain a certain degree of individuality. As the Dan say, "all men look alike if compared to animals, yet no two persons have the same face." Similarly, a carver would create masks of the same style to appear at least a little differently. To achieve an understanding of masking traditions among the Dan, it becomes essential that one go beyond mere description of the mask type. The complex interaction between masquerades, the wearers, the circumcision camp and the Go society must all be considered as well.
History of the Dan Tribe The Dan, who call themselves dan po me or Dan speaking people, are a tribe of farmers with an estimated population of 350,000, living in Liberia and the inland region of Cote d'Ivoire. They are particularly renowned for their beautifully sculpted artifacts: masks, figures and spoons. The Dan are brilliant musicians and dancers, whereas their poetry is perhaps inferior to that of other African peoples such as the Akan. Agrarian people, the Dan plant rice, manioc and yams, also using oil palms and cola-tress and are engaged in the cultivation of coffee as a cash crop. The Dan have fought against invasions from their neighbors for decades, yet they are to be warm-hearted, generous and hospitable to strangers. While the Dan speak a Mande language, their culture has much in common with their southern neighbors, the We (also called the Gere, Ngere, Guere in Cote d'Ivoire and Kran in Liberia) who speak a Kwa language. In the past, the Dan did not form a politically unified nation, preferring that every village function as an autonomous unit. Game is no longer an essential part of the Dan diet as game populations were decimated by the imported gun. Though domestic animals are numerous in the villages, their meat is consumed only during ritual meals which take place during funeral services. Fish, caught by both men and women, continue to play an important role in supplying a source of protein in the Dan diet. Dan men and women continue to strive to obtain distinction and desired prominence in their village, called tin, attained through personal achievement of excellence in their own field of endeavor or craft. The greatest tin gained by either sex comes through spiritual preeminence as a leader in one of their numerous secret societies as a diviner, medicine man or woman, or in secular leadership as the founder of a new community. Material wealth, or bou, is highly regarded as the reward for energy, diligence, and shrewdness in barter or games of chance. A man with much bou could organize feasts to feed and entertain people from near and far, a gesture which increased his tin while advancing him within the circle of elders or consolidating his reputation as a chief. Dan chiefs once exercised unlimited power over their people but such power and wealth depended solely upon their generosity, leaving those chiefs who did not act generously vulnerable to abandonment and later attack from neighboring villages. Traditionally the Dan did not have markets for trade, relying instead upon a ritualized exchange of presents between prosperous chieftains who visited each other regularly for gift exchanges, each trying to exceed his partner's generosity. It was permitted to hint for desired objects during such meetings and each gift was assigned a position in a firmly structured value system. Metal, cloth, mats, domestic animals, slaves and even wives were acknowledged according to their exchange value. In Dan society, the individual was constantly threatened by war, slavery or cannibalism if they were not in some way indispensable. A good-for-nothing, at the mercy of his chief, might be sold for a slave or, if he fled in times of war, could not hope to gain asylum in another village. These threatening circumstances caused a drive for individual prominence within the community as perfection in performance was one means of ensuring one's safety. As the Dan say: "It is not what you do that matters, but that you do it better than any other." Perhaps this emphasis on specialization can explain the large number of secret societies among the Dan, with their multiple grades and functionaries. Likewise, it may be a reason for the wealth of arts and crafts which enable a person ~ maker as well as owner ~ to enhance their status in the community.
Recommended Reading: Harley: Notes on the Poro in Liberia and Masks as Agents of Social Control in Northeast Liberia Fischer and Himmelhaber: The Arts of the Dan in West Africa Fischer: Dan Forest Spirits: Masks in Dan Villages Meneghini: Collecting African Art in Liberia and Neighboring Countries Johnson: Four Dan Sculptors Kerchache: L'art Africain
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