Some other masks in my possession

Some other masks in my possession

Passport mask
Carved wood CIRCA 1980
24 X 16 cm
RSR Collection

This small mask carved from wood is called a passport mask. 

I bought it in Liege Belgium in 2002 and since then i keep it.

The Passport mask were traditionally carried around by the Dan People, kept in a leather pouch and are often miniature copies of a family mask, which used to be used as a form of identification. They were also often shown off to honor important visitors to the village. Most masks are carved to be similar to a specific family member or person of honor. When leaving the village to hunt or travel, they would carry passport masks as protective charms.

The passport mask functioned as proof of one's position within it, which was useful when traveling to other villages. In time, passport masks became a form of tribal identification, each culture with their own distinct styles.

The Dan or Mano-Dan are a Mande ethnic group from northwestern Ivory Coast and neighbouring Liberia, There are approximately 700000 members of the group and their largest settlement is Man, Ivory Coast. Neighboring peoples include the Krahn, Kpelle and Mano. They are officially known as Yacouba (or Yakouba). In Liberia, they are also known as Gio (Bassa for "slave"), which is considered a derogatory exonym.

I also have a Wixarika mask that reminds me of this type of mask. It serves as an expression of Wixarika identity, and I perceive many similarities.

Wixárika Beaded and Threaded Masks: Cultural and Artistic Dimensions

Materials and TechniqueYarn Embroidery: Wixárika (Huichol) masks are traditional, handcrafted pieces created by meticulously pressing bright, multicolored yarn threads onto a base.
Adhesive Base: Artisans apply a layer of natural beeswax or resin onto a wooden base to secure the threads.

Precision Design: The yarn threads are placed one by one with high precision to form complex geometric patterns and intricate cultural iconographies.

Cultural and Cosmological SignificanceRitualistic Use: While many masks are created as fine art, some traditional masks actively participate in sacred ceremonies and community festivities, such as Holy Week rituals.
Sacred Symbolism: The embedded designs depict central elements of the Wixárika cosmos, most notably the deer (maxa), peyote (hikuri), corn (Iku), and ancestral deities.
Artistic Preservation: These pieces serve as a visual narrative of the community's oral traditions, spiritual visions, and deep connection to nature.

Wixarika mask
Carved wood and colored threads. CIRCA 1997
22 X 15 cm
RSR Collection

The next mask is the "Gille" mask from the Carnival of Binche in Belgium.
This iconic mask is a pale wax mask featuring round green spectacles, a waxed upturned mustache, and a small goatee. 

In Binche, Belgium, an unusual Carnival tradition emerged in approximately the 14th century, featuring (among others) masqueraders known as Gille. Gille is an elaborately dressed bourgeois with a hunched back. Most modern Gilles wear a mask, held to the head with elastic straps and a white cloth, and sporting a distinctive blond “Napoleon III” mustache with green glasses, suggesting a scholar.  The mask is thought to date to the 1860s, and it was formerly made in Germany. After the Second World War, the mask was manufactured in France using a hat press over a sculpted mold, until Jean-Luc Pourbaix began making them locally in Binche in 1976.

The costume is a suit of grey cloth, elaborately embroidered with insignias and designs in black, red, and yellow, and with a heavily padded back. The masqueraders also wear a white cloth cowl with a lace or tasseled fringe, a belt of small bells, and wooden clogs with lace spats. Crowds of Gilles parade in large groups to drum beats, carrying sticks to drive away evil spirits. Later, they appear in hats with giant ostrich plumes, carrying baskets of oranges for throwing to (or at) the parade audience as a token of good luck.

In the past, similar masks and costumes were worn by Carnival celebrants in other towns of Wallonia, with slight differences in appearance. In Nivelles, for example, the mask worn by the Société de l’Argayon had a more elaborate beard and no glasses, but was otherwise similar. It is no longer widely worn outside of Binche.

Gille mask
Carved wood and colored threads. CIRCA 2002
50 X 50 cm
RSR Collection