Dan Art and Masks

The stark faces of Dan masks easily distinguish them among African art. The Dan have inhabited the Ivory Coast and Liberia since the eighth century B.C. A loose confederation of villages totaling some 350,000 individuals, they have spent much of their history battling neighboring tribes and sometimes each other. This gave them a ferocious reputation as each Dan warrior sought tin: individual prestige or glory. In former times tin was available through bravery in war; but the encroachment of colonial governments, and increased centralization has made tribal conflicts less common. Today's young Dan warrior must find his tin through other pursuits. Unity was finally brought to the Dan people with the institution of the Leopard Society or Go in the late 1800s.
 

Sold Items