Text from Teaching Posters Dan Culture, Deangle Mask

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1 Text from Teaching Posters Dan Culture, Deangle Mask Dan culture, Deangle mask, Côte d'ivoire, 19th early 20th century, wood, 9 5/8 x 5 1/8 x 2 5/8 in., A110, Barnes Foundation, Merion, Pennsylvania Photo 2011 The Barnes Foundation

The African Mask African masks are worn only for traditional ceremonies, with special clothing and accessories. During the ceremonies, the masks seem to be alive. Masks serve particular purposes.

2 The African Mask African masks are worn only for traditional ceremonies, with special clothing and accessories. During the ceremonies, the masks seem to be alive. Masks serve particular purposes. Their main function is as a powerful means of communication between the world of the living and the world of the ancestors. In a ceremony, the masks embody the spirits they represent. Depending on the spirit, the masks may frighten, puzzle, or amuse. They may look like people or animals. Masks are worn with elaborate attire that covers the wearer, concealing his or her identity. In many African cultures, masks are worn only during masquerades (danced performances): The music, the masquerader s garb, and the crowd that follows him or her are essential elements of the performance. African masks are usually carved from one piece of wood. The artist sometimes paints the mask and adds other decoration, such as shells or raffia fibers. Masks are often concealed during their creation and no one is allowed to see them before the masquerade. Dan acrobatic dancers, Man region, Côte d Ivoire, photo by Eliot Elisofon, 1971, EEPA EECL 4781, Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives National Museum of African Art Smithsonian Institution The Deangle Mask This mask in the collection of the Barnes Foundation is a Deangle (feminine) mask made by an unidentified, skilled, male Dan artist. The Dan live in Côte d Ivoire, Guinea, and northeast Liberia. Their masks vary in style and purpose and represent different spirits or ancestors. This one, used by male teenagers during a coming-of-age ritual, represents a beautiful but mischievous female spirit who inhabits the forest. Teaching Poster Text Deangle Mask The Barnes Foundation pg 2

Left: Albert C. Barnes with "Door (anuan)" (A238). Photograph by Angelo Pinto, c. 1946.

Photo 2011 The Barnes Foundation Dr. Albert C. Barnes, founder of the Barnes Foundation, stands next to a granary door from the Côte d Ivoire.

3 Left: Albert C. Barnes with "Door (anuan)" (A238). Photograph by Angelo Pinto, c The Barnes Foundation Archives Right: Baule culture, Door (anuan), Côte d'ivoire, wood, pigment 19th early 20th century, Barnes Foundation, Merion, Pennsylvania, A238. Photo 2011 The Barnes Foundation Dr. Albert C. Barnes, founder of the Barnes Foundation, stands next to a granary door from the Côte d Ivoire. Barnes was one of the first collectors to display his African collection as art and equal in value to art made by European artists. Dr. Albert C. Barnes started the Barnes Foundation as a school for learning how to look at art. He collected paintings and other kinds of artwork, including ceramics, furniture, metalwork, and sculpture. Barnes arranged his collection in ensembles, groupings that bring together artworks from different periods and geographic regions to compare how artists have responded to the world around them. He was one of the first collectors to display his African collection as art and equal in value to art made by European artists. The Masquerade During the masquerade, a young man dances on stilts, while wearing the mask, a hat, a raffia skirt, and a cloak. He twirls on his stilts in a procession and interacts with the people who follow him. This type of masquerade is performed only by the men of the Dan culture. Dan Ge Gblin stilt-dancer mask, Man region, Côte d Ivoire, photo by Eliot Elisofon, 1971, EEPA EECL 3751 Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives National Museum of African Art Smithsonian Institution Teaching Poster Text Deangle Mask The Barnes Foundation pg 3

4 Questions Following the steps below will help you look at the mask on the other side of this poster. Step 1: Look Describe the Deangle mask to another student. What is special about the mask s expression? Step 2: Analyze Color What color is this mask? What is it made of? Light Where do you see light hitting this mask? Where do you see shadows? What does this tell you? Line Find etched lines. What do they look like? What shapes do you notice on the mask? This face is considered beautiful by the Dan. What features on this face do you think are considered important in their culture? Space Imagine wearing this mask. What would it be like to look through those eyes? Patina (surface) The surface of the mask shows the skills of the carver. Is the surface rough or smooth? Is it dull or shiny? Teaching Poster Text Deangle Mask The Barnes Foundation pg 3

Step 3: Compare and Contrast The Dan make 11 different kinds of mask for use in different masquerades. Compare and contrast the Deangle mask with the other Dan masks (below).

1) Dan culture, Gunye Ge mask, Côte d'ivoire, 19th early 20th century, wood, 8 13/16 x 5 5/16 x 2 3/4 in.

5 Step 3: Compare and Contrast The Dan make 11 different kinds of mask for use in different masquerades. Compare and contrast the Deangle mask with the other Dan masks (below). Which features (eyes, nose, mouth) look the same on each mask? Which features are different? 1) Dan culture, Gunye Ge mask, Côte d'ivoire, 19th early 20th century, wood, 8 13/16 x 5 5/16 x 2 3/4 in., A128 2) Dan culture, Mask with cowrie shells and raffia, Côte d'ivoire or Liberia, 19th early 20th century, wood, plant fiber, cowire, fabric, glass, possible wool fibers, unidentified metal, 10 1/4 x 8 x 3 in., A271 3) Dan culture, Kagle mask, Côte d'ivoire, wood, hair, animal teeth, 19th early 20th century, A219 Teaching Poster Text Deangle Mask The Barnes Foundation pg 4

The Bantu Migration (3000 B.C. 1100 A.D.)

Geography The Bantu Migration (3000 B.C. 1100 A.D.) The geography of Africa is as diverse as the many ethnic and cultural groups that live on the continent. The Sahara and Kalahari Deserts make up the