Dan Wood Passport Mask (Ma Go)

Dan peoples, Liberia / Côte d'Ivoire, early–mid 20th century

A finely carved miniature Dan mask, known as a ma go ("small head") or "passport mask,"  deangle feminine-beauty type of classic bi-planar, symmetrical oval form with a smoothly domed forehead, deeply recessed almond-shaped eyes beneath an elegantly arched brow, a long triangular ridge-nose, full parted lips, and a tapering pointed chin. The forehead is crowned with a band of finely incised ridges representing the coiffure or hairline, and the wood has acquired a deep, lustrous brown patina from generations of handling and ritual care.

Among the Dan of Liberia and Côte d'Ivoire, miniature masks of this type are owned by men and women whose families possess an important full-size mask; the ma go serves as a personal amulet that maintains the bearer's connection to the protective spirit of the parent mask while travelling, and is traditionally kept wrapped in cloth or carried in a small leather pouch — the source of the European collector's nickname "passport mask". Diviners may also prescribe such miniatures for protective, curative, or preventative purposes.

Dimensions: 4¼ inches high (approx. 10.8 cm); presented on a custom metal-and-wood display mount

Condition: Excellent age-appropriate condition; rich handling patina, minor wear and small losses to nose and lip edges consistent with ritual use

Provenance: Ex collection of Mark Isaacson (founding partner of the legendary Fifty/50 Gallery, New York) and Greg Nacozy.  The Isaacson/Nacozy provenance is a meaningful added value — Mark Isaacson was a founding member of the influential 1980s downtown New York Fifty/50 Gallery and a serious collector of African art alongside midcentury design and photography; the collection has been carefully preserved by Greg Nacozy since Isaacson's death in 1993.