Dan mask, Ivory Coast, circa 1960-1980

Dan mask from the Ivory Coast „fire-runner mask”, also known as a „Zakpäi mask”, circa 1960-1980.

It has round eyes surrounded with metal, and teeth also of metal.
Materials: Carved wood, metal plates (around the eyes and for the teeth), textile (for fastening at the neck), plaited plant fibre at the top
Dimensions: 24 x 15 x 7 cm
State of preservation: Fair, with signs of wear: minor cracks, blunted edges.
Function: The Zakpäi mask is worn in ritual or festive contexts, associated with young runners in public dances, with the function of symbolic punishment and the restoration of order.

The Dan people, of the forest regions of the Ivory Coast and Liberia, are known for their ceremonial and ritual masks, which are essential to the regulation of social and spiritual life. The „Zakpäi” type of mask belongs to a distinct category with round eyes and a half-open mouth, worn by agile young men who ran through the village and, at the elders' command, imposed symbolic punishments on those who broke the community's rules.

The circular eyes pierce the frontal plane with an intensity particular to this type. In the present case they are surrounded by metal inserts (probably aluminium or a soft alloy), a rare but documented detail on post-war Zakpäi masks (circa 1950-1980), which heightens the sense of vigilance. The stylised metal teeth reinforce the association with coercive or supernatural forces.

The textile fixed beneath the chin, although damaged, keeps the integrity of its form. The plant-fibre cord above suggests a practical or secondary decorative fastening, sometimes connected with individualising the mask during the dance.