Mask "zakpai" ·  Côte d'Ivoire, Dan · ID: 3038093

Description

wood, slightly shiny black patina, kaolin, beautifully formed face with characteristic concave profile and pierced round eyes, facial contours, eyebrows and tattoos painted in white pigment, drilled holes around the rim, in the cheek area in two rows, slightly dam., minor missing parts (nose, rim backside), scratches, abrasion of paint (lips);
such masks are called runner masks, “running juju”. They are widespread among the northern Dan (because of the dry area they are mostly needed there). Worn by the fastest runner of the village, they are supposed to warn the inhabitants and call for help in case a fire breaks out. They used to wear face masks with big circular eyes and a coating of red fabric, completed by a head gear with big leaves “bülä” and a rough costume with short fibre skirt. Their “weapon” was a short branch while their companion used to beat a slit gong. They only appeared in dry season and their sole task was to control the cooking fire places within the village. They are not dancing or singing, they are just rumping with the youngsters of the village.

L’objet Mask “zakpai” avec l’ID d’objet 3038093 a fait partie de l’enchère 79th Tribal Art Auction en 21 mars 2015 pour la dernière fois le Zemanek-Münster Hôtel des ventes et avait le numéro de lot 186.

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Littérature comparée

Fischer, Eberhard & Hans Himmelheber, Die Kunst der Dan, Zürich 1976, p. 73 ff.