A traditional West African hand carved wood tribal mask of the Dan people, a Mande ethnic group from northwestern Ivory Coast and neighboring Liberia. They are officially known as Yacouba in Ivory Coast. The oval face is depicted with a shaved forehead, barely open eyes, a long downward-expanding nose, a narrow rhombus-shaped mouth. This type of mask is the most important art form of the Dan people of Liberia and Ivory Coast. The Dan people call these masks as gle or ge, terms that refer both to the physical mask and the individual spirits the mask is believed to embody during masquerade performances. Circa the early 20th century. Antique African Wooden Masks And Tribal Art Collectibles.