Dan Deangle Mask Liberia Pearson Collection

Dan masks, originating from the Dan people of Liberia, Côte d'Ivoire, and Guinea, are recognized for their elongated faces, high foreheads, and slender eyes, often featuring a central ridge on the forehead. Specifically, the Deangle mask, associated with the Poro society's rituals, represents female spirits with believed supernatural abilities. These masks, adorned with scarification marks and symbolic decorations, symbolize spiritual authority and prowess. Revered for safeguarding against malevolent forces and fostering community fertility and prosperity, the Deangle mask is worn by male dancers during elaborate Poro ceremonies, performing intricate dances to honor and seek blessings from the spirit. The Dan's intricate societal structure, featuring family lineages, secret societies, and initiation rituals, is intertwined with their belief in Du spirits inhabiting the wild, manifesting through masks and guiding the Dan in life. Masks within the Dan culture vary in form and function, each designated with distinct roles and responsibilities.

From the Collection of Robert Pearson, Denver, Colorado

Bob Pearson began collecting African art later in his life. He was an engineer, inveterate climber, and long-time collector of books and paintings. Spurred by the Douglas Society at the Denver Museum of Art, and his friendship with noted collector George Heggarty, he began building an enormous, eclectic collection. His African art library grew to several hundred books. He loved textiles and material culture which had domestic use, like spoons, cups, stools, and chairs, as well as masks and carvings. His collection included items from more than thirty African countries, and his fine eye gave him pieces ranging from a gold-dust scale to huge Dogon figural ladders. Africa Direct is honored to have been chosen to sell them.

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