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 n...