Anthropomorphic beak mask "sagbwe" · Côte d'Ivoire/Liberia, Dan · ID: 3044171
not available anymore
Provenance
Carl Otto Hultén, Malmö, SwedenSize
H: 37 cm
H: 14.6 inch
Description
wood, brass,
The beak-like protrusion is always identified with the bill of a bird, and especially that of the horn-raven. “Sagbwe” means as much as “gbwe” (son of) and “sa” (calao). In Liberia as well as in Côte d’Ivoire, the beak is associated with the “mythical” bird of the same name, which is considered a cultural hero.
Bird-mask performances occur during the dry season, at harvest time. The function of the mask is to guard the village against the danger of fire.
Comparing literature
Fagaly, William, Ancestors of Congo Square, New Orleans 2011, p. 103 Fischer, Eberhard & Hans Himmelheber, Die Kunst der Dan, Zürich 1976, p. 125, ill. 98
Publications
AHDRC: 0153584