Beak mask "gägon"
Côte d'Ivoire, Dan/Diomande
n'est plus disponible
Provenance
Gabriel Viaud-Bruant, Poitiers, France (1865-1948)Taille
H: 30 cm
H: 11.8 inch
Description
wood, matt blackish patina, eye zone and beak spread with a thick layer of mass, the movable jaw fixed with plant fibre, the lower jaw coated with animal skin, the upper jaw covered with black (apes)-hair, grooved tattoos on both sides of the face, slightly dam., missing parts backside at the rim, crack (forehead);
according to Hans Himmelheber this mask type appeared on sunday mornings for entertainment of the village people, sometimes accompanied by small orchestras, moving and dancing in the midst of the people. In former times the mask type surely had educational purposes with his songs and sayings but nowadays it is used for entertainment only.