3
Artist_Maker%20%3D%20%225301%22
Sculpture
Face Mask with Hinged Jaw (Bu gle)
Dan artist, (active )
Dan artist
Côte d'Ivoire
12 x 5 3/4 x 4 1/2 in. (30.5 x 14.6 x 11.4 cm)
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.
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Wood
Wood
Dan; made in Liberia or Côte d'Ivoire
0
0
Sculpture
This mask originally had a hinged jaw that has broken off and is now covered with a patch of monkey fur. Masks like this are believed to embody spiritual beings capable of settling disputes with clear impartiality. By clattering the upper and lower jaw together the mask voices his judgments. The metal eye rims obscure the human eyes beneath and enhance an already penetrating glare. The thick crust visible on the surface is the result of sacrificial materials that have been “fed” to the bu gle – an appropriate way to control the powers of the mask.
[Gallery label text, 2009]
1969.21
item
Memorial Art Gallery
3/10/2001
69.21SL1
slide
full
2 x 2
00/00/00
http://127.0.0.1:5000/Graphics/blank.gif
glossy
full
8 x 10
00/00/00
http://127.0.0.1:5000/Graphics/blank.gif
negative
full
4 x 5
00/00/00
http://127.0.0.1:5000/Graphics/blank.gif
69.21DI1
digital image
2 x 2
00/00/00
http://127.0.0.1:5000/Media/images/69.21_A1.jpg
69.21DI#2
digital image
6/18/2008
http://127.0.0.1:5000/Media/images/69.21_A2.jpg
Sculpture
Face Mask (Gegon)
Dan artist, (active )
Dan artist
Côte d'Ivoire
Primary
26 1/8 x 6 x 7 3/4 in. (66.4 x 15.2 x 19.7 cm)
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.
.
Wood
Wood
Dan; made in Côte d'Ivoire
0
0
Sculpture
Gegon is the bird masquerade; the dancer wears a tall cylindrical hat covered with feathers and mimes the pecking or flying movements of birds. In Dan mythology the toucan bird was the first being created and the bringer of oil palm, an important food source for the Dan.
[Gallery label text, 2009]
1969.69
item
Memorial Art Gallery
3/10/2001
69.69SL1
slide
2 x 2
00/00/00
http://127.0.0.1:5000/Graphics/blank.gif
69.69DI1
digital image
2 x 2
00/00/00
http://127.0.0.1:5000/Media/images/69.69_A1.jpg
69.69DI#2
digital image
6/18/2008
http://127.0.0.1:5000/Media/images/69.69_A2.jpg
69.69DI#3
digital image
front
1/13/2009
http://127.0.0.1:5000/Media/images/69.69_A3.jpg
Sculpture
Face Mask (Bu Gle)
Dan artist, (active )
Dan artist
Côte d'Ivoire
Primary
10 x 6 1/2 x 4 1/4 in. (25.4 x 16.5 x 10.8 cm)
.
.
.
Wood
Wood
Dan; Made in Liberia or Côte d'Ivoire
0
0
Sculpture
To the Dan, a carved mask holds no power until it has been activated. A nail in the top of the forehead is sometimes a sign of spiritual activation, animating a previously inanimate object. The nail in this mask might also have functioned simply to secure pieces of the dance costume to the mask.
The most important art to the Dan are the masks that embody powerful spiritual forces called gle. These wild, unpredictable bush spirits yearn to participate in the ordered realm of the village. Bu gle are war masks. Their bulging eyes and sharp angular features speak of an aggressive nature that is reflected in a rough and vigorous dancing style.
[Gallery label text, 2009]
1970.24
item
Memorial Art Gallery
3/10/2001
70.24SL1
slide
2 x 2
00/00/00
http://127.0.0.1:5000/Graphics/blank.gif
70.24DI1
digital image
2 x 2
00/00/00
http://127.0.0.1:5000/Media/images/70.24_A1.jpg
70.24DI#2
digital image
6/18/2008
http://127.0.0.1:5000/Media/images/70.24_A2.jpg
70.24DI#3
digital image
1/13/2009
http://127.0.0.1:5000/Media/images/70.24_A3.jpg
70.24TR1
transparency
Front
4 x 5
00/00/00
http://127.0.0.1:5000/Graphics/blank.gif
70.24DI#4
digital image
Three-quarter
00/00/00
http://127.0.0.1:5000/Media/images/70.24_A4.jpg
70.24DI#5
digital image
Front
00/00/00
http://127.0.0.1:5000/Media/images/70.24_A5.jpg