Preview
Culture
Dan People
Medium
Wood
Dimensions
5 5/16 x 3 3/16 x 1 3/16 in. (13.5 x 8.1 x 3cm)
1.549 oz. (43.8 g)
Credit Line
Bequest of David P. Harris ('46), 2020
Accession Number
2020.196
Description
Small wooden mask in oval form with eyes closed, broad nose, and wide closed mouth. Brown in color. Hole at top of mask.
Dan Passport masks are small masks, about 6-20 cm tall. These passport masks replicate the masks worn in performance. They serve as important means of identification, and someone in the community can commission them for preventative, protective or curative purposes. While they often depict females, they are not easily available to women. Women can commission a miniature to retain ties to their own family after they marry if their family has a strong connection to the masks.
For more information, please look at the passport masks at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1979.206.311.
Reverse view