Destination: Kumasi , Ghana

Inhabiting the western region of Cote d’Ivoire and parts of Liberia, the Dan make a living from farming cocoa and coffee, and have a reputation for being fierce warriors. Their masks, distinguished by a concave face, protruding mouth and high forehead, are not mere representations of bush spirits—they embody those bush spirits and are therefore considered sacred, guarded over by the headman of the all-male “secret society of the leopard,” or go, when not in use. When the Dan do break out their masks, it may be for peace/war ceremonies, community mediations, entertainment (where they’re worn by performers on stilts), or to ward off fires in the dry season.