Beak mask "gägon" ·  Côte d'Ivoire, Dan - Diomandé · ID: 3037784

Description

wood, matt blackish patina, eye zone and beak spread with a thick layer of mass, the jaw covered with black (apes)-hair, grooved tattoos on both sides of the face, min. dam., small missing parts, cracks, traces of abrasion;
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 its songs and sayings but nowadays it is used for entertainment only.