This Deangle mask from the Dan people of the Ivory Coast represents the ideal of feminine beauty and a benevolent spirit of the forest. It is characterized by an oval face, smooth forehead, pouting lips exposing teeth and slit eyes. The shape of these masks were determined by dreams in which the bush spirit reveals how it wishes to be represented. These masks were danced to promote harmony and represented the nurturing spirits that feed the young initiates in the bush camps as they were educated into their responsibilities as adults. These masks were highly prized and passed from one generation to the next as precious heirlooms.