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Protecting the Individual, the Family and the Community
Amulets are produced and used in a wide range of formal styles, formats and materials, but can be divided in three different categories: protective devices which protect whole communities, those which belong to families, and protective devices for individuals, also called amulets. And while amulets possess a range of aesthetic styles and applications, they are all alike in their preventive ability to protect against future harm. Protective devices made from a range of natural and man made materials occur among nearly all the ethnic groups of sub-Saharan Africa. Many amulets can express in miniature the aesthetic and stylistic qualities of larger sculptures. (Refer to photo of sagbwe and nyonkula masks.)
The Dan believe in a creator named Zlan who gave them the mask form as a defense against affliction. The sagbwe mask appears during the dry season. With its large, round eyes, the mask inspects Dan villages to make sure that no fire has been left burning. It also wakes the villagers in the morning and makes them run behind it for warmth and protection from sickness.
Among the Dan, the go priest is regarded as the ancestors' substitute and the direct mediator between the living and the dead. Together with the diviner he may recommend that an adult have a miniature mask such as the nyonkula, pictured on this page, made to be cured of an illness or escape some other misfortune. The owner carries the mask at all times, concealed beneath clothing.
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Left mask: sagbwe, Dan, Cote d'Ivoire. Wood, metal and fibers, 12 ¾ inches.
Right mask: nyonkula, Dan, Cote d'Ivoire. Wood, copper, cowrie shells and feathers, 8 ¾ inches. Mr. & Mrs. Brian Leyden.
Photo: Franko Khoury
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