"Poro" society mask

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Description

wood, dark brown patina, banded eye zone with narrow see slits and remains of white pigment, projecting mouth with drilled holes in the upper lip for insertion of metal teeth (now missing), diadem-shaped plaited coiffure, collection numbers backside: “A2…” (unreadable) and “601”, slightly dam., minor missing parts (backside at the rim), traces of insect caused damage, abrasion of paint, base;
this mask may belong to a type worn by priests to judge disputations. The wearer, a man, adopts a female mask to emphasize his impartiality and breadth of understanding.

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Littérature comparée

Fischer, Eberhard & Hans Himmelheber, The Arts of the Dan in West Africa, Zurich 1984, p. 14, ill. 3

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Publications

Hurst Gallery, Art of West Africa, Cambridge/Massachusetts 1987, p. 22, ill. 26

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