Anthropomorphic face mask "zakpai" · Côte d'Ivoire, Dan · ID: 3049423
German Private Collection
Description
wood, pigment residues, base
“Zakpai” appeared mainly in the dry savannah region of the northern Dan. The masks function was to ensure that women extinguish cooking fires after use to prevent afternoon winds spreading fire through the village and bushes. It is worn by the fastest runner in the village supposed to warn the inhabitants and to call for help in case of fire.
The object Anthropomorphic face mask “zakpai” with the object ID 3049423 was last part of the auction 99th Auction at November 12, 2022 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house. The object with the lot number 8 achieved a sales price of EUR 1,800.
You can find more Masks and other popular object types on our related topic pages. You may also be interested in our page on African art.
Comparing literature
Fischer, Eberhard & Hans Himmelheber, Die Kunst der Dan, Zürich 1976, p. 74, ill. 108
Publications
AHDRC: 0178561