Dan Spoon Ceremonial Face on Handle Custom Base African Art

Description

Title
Dan Spoon Ceremonial Face on Handle Custom Base African Art
Type of Object
Scoop/spoon
Country of Origin
Cote d'Ivoire, Liberia
People
Dan
Materials
Wood
Approximate Age
20th century
Height (in)
17
Width (in)
4
Depth (in)
3
Other Dimensions
19 inch height on stand
Overall Condition
Good. Some of our beads have traveled at least three continents, and have graced numerous owners. Small chips, corrosion, and pitting are a normal part of their patina attesting to their age and extensive use.
Additional Information:
Elaborate spoons, sometimes in the shape of female figures, or with faces, were awarded to women known as wunkirile who had been judged by their peers and elders of their village to be the most generous and hospitable to others of their village quarter. Spoon shaped carvings such as this are best described as feast ladles used by their owner to offer food to others during public feasts. Known as 'wunkirmian' this spoon with a head as a handle displays undeniably Dan features like the ornate headdress, slim eyes and lips, and concave brow.
Sculpted figures among the Dan or Yacuba are commissioned by wealthy or socially prominent men to represent their favored wife. Sometimes sculpted with a baby on their back the figures exemplify the ideas of fertility and continuity of the family. These relatively uncommon sculptures are known as ‘lu me’ or wooden person and can be over 60 centimeters in height. They do not portray ancestors but are stylized portraits of real individuals closely representing the hairstyle, body markings, and physiognomy of the wife. These sculptures are superb examples of Dan sculpture and were often the work of well-known artists who worked in secret away from women and children as they carved the lu me figures. In some instances lu me sculptures are made public to the village during a ceremony in which the man who commissioned the carving is recognized and gaining social prestige. These figures may also be kept in small houses and only publicly shown on special occasions. Her face and ears are well carved and shown in detail.
The Mande speaking Dan people of northern Liberia and neighboring Guinea and Cote d’Ivoire migrated south from present Mali and today live in forested regions as agriculturists. Also known as the Yacuba, the Dan live in politically non-centralized villages and towns ruling themselves through a complex arrangement of family lineages, men’s secret societies, and conjunct initiation ceremonies. Known for their numerous wooden masks and masquerades the Dan share many cultural features which includes a dynamic masking complex with their Mano neighbors in Liberia and the We or Guere and Wobe in Cote d’Ivoire.
Recommended Reading:
Kerchache's ART OF AFRICA
**134754**
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