West Africa, Ivory Coast and Liberia, Dan peoples, ca. early to mid-20th century CE. A hand-carved wooden face mask of ovoid form bearing enormous openwork eyes, a triangular nose with drilled nostrils, and 2 rows of teeth bared between thick lips. A suspension perforation is drilled through each temple for wear during rituals and dance ceremonies. In Mande, the Dan language, masks are referred to as "gle" or "ge," which is also the term for the supernatural beings who live outside the village and who can inhabit the masks during ritual practices. Size: 7.3" W x 12" H (18.5 cm x 30.5 cm) Provenance: ex-private Bishop Family Trust collection, the Trust of the late Bill Bishop, a noted antiquarian with shops in Scottsdale, Arizona and Allenspark, Colorado, USA, acquired before 2010 All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance), we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm.Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping. #172919