Miniature mask "ma go" ·  Côte d'Ivoire, Dan · ID: 3050343

Description

metal, animal skin, base

Unusual miniature mask made of metal, covered in a particularly thick layer of sacrificial patina.

Most Dan face masks genre, and those of the culturally related groups of Côte d’Ivoire and Liberia, are commonly executed in a miniature form.

Miniature masks embody the protective spirit associated with the corresponding large-scale mask type. They must be regularly “fed” so that the spirit will grant its help. Rubbed with oil and food, they are wrapped up and kept on the owner’s body or among his possessions.

For individuals, miniature masks have a protective or healing function. When travelling, they serve as a means of identification. They can also play a role as communal possessions in secret societies. Here they are used as sacred objects for taking oaths and for swearing to tell the truth.