Rare cast bronze Diomande / Dan miniature mask, Ivory Coast, 21 x 13 cm. These masks were cast by local blacksmiths from primitively smelted bronze. Not meant to be worn, miniature masks afford the owner the protection of the large dancing masks they refer to and were inspired by. The eye sockets of bronze masks were filled with magical substance, which is why the eye openings of this masks are crudely worked. Good sacrificial patination front and back. The Diomande are a rather small sub-group of the Dan tribes; their masks are recogniseable by the three lines (scarification) surrounding the face and the concave forehead. This particular mask is most expressive and well cast with a high level of precision around the mouth.