Dan Ge Gon or Hornbill Mask, Based

A face with no mouth to speak of, and a beak that says plenty.

Dan makers of Liberia, West Africa, made this hornbill mask in brass in the late 19th or early 20th century. Dan masks are commonly carved in wood, so a metal example is a notable variation on a familiar form. Two round eyeholes sit in a smooth, domed face split by a raised central ridge. A small nose leads down to a long, downcurved beak that sweeps out like a spoon.

About 11 inches tall. A dinner guest who never interrupts.