Dan mask Beautiful mask with an oval face, slit... Lot 27

Dan mask Beautiful mask with an oval face, slit almond eyes, half-open mouth, well-defined lips, the whole topped by a bulging forehead, the edge of the mask pierced with fixing holes, beautiful old patina inside and outside black lacquer. Height: 23.5 cm. Provenance: - former collection of the famous Brazilian model Lucia Curia who worked with Valentino and Coco Chanel (deceased in 2009), wife of the Brazilian businessman Walter Moreira Sales, circa 1960, - private collection, Paris Enchères, Drouot Richelieu, Collin du Bocage, 10 June 2015, lot 136. As far as the function of this mask is concerned, there are essentially two types of Dan masks that have a comparable plasticity: the so-called ''runner'' mask, which has round eyes, and the so-called ''guardian, comedian, or singer'' mask, which has long slit eyes whose superciliary arches are either non-existent or emphasized by a slight bulge and a hairstyle of braided plaits, in the image of the traditional hairstyle of Manding women. Our mask is a good example of the second type. Expert : Bernard de Grunne, Brussels.