Dan Wood Passport Mask

Glossy black face, round eye holes and a tuft of fibre beard for good measure.

This Dan passport mask of wood and hemp is Dan, from Liberia, West Africa, and dates to the 20th century. Hemp and other plant fibers have long been used in West African masks for beards, hair and cords, adding texture beside the smooth carved wood. Elongated oval mask in polished black with a high smooth forehead, small round eye openings, a straight nose and a small pursed mouth with a diamond-shaped lip. A rough grey-brown tuft of fibre clings under the chin. It stands on a black stand. It is 3.38 inches wide, 2 deep and 6 high.

Smooth up top, scruffy at the chin, delightfully balanced.