Northeast Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire

Dan (also called Gio or Yakuba)

Wood, Kaolin paint
Mid 20th century
Length: 35 inches
Idiophone – Struck Directly  – Slit Drum

Dan people, also called Gio or Yakuba, are an ethnolinguistic grouping of people inhabiting the mountainous west-central Côte d’Ivoire and adjacent areas of Liberia.  They belong to the Southern branch of the Mande linguistic subgroup of the Niger-Congo language family.  This slit drum possibly from the Dan people of Liberia, has a beautifully wood carved female head finial atop a three ring neck.  The drum shows incised geometric designs around the top and bottom and on each side of the front slit opening.  Red and black kaolin paint also adorns the drum. This slit drum was collected by Mark Wentzel in 1970 on a trip to Liberia.