The Dan mask, from western Côte d’Ivoire, holds a central place in the spiritual, social, and artistic life of the Dan people. Carved from wood and often adorned with cowries, textiles, and natural fibers, it embodies a living sacred force that mediates between the human world and the spirit world. Used in initiation rites, ceremonial dances, and community gatherings, it symbolizes protection, wisdom, and authority.

Its stylized features—elongated face, almond eyes, discreet mouth—express an ideal of beauty and harmony.

More than an aesthetic object, the Dan mask bears identity and collective memory, carrying the stories, values, and traditions of a community in constant resonance with the sacred.