DAN MAOU, Touba region. Ivory Coast. Hardwood, brown-black lacquered patina Dance mask from the "Koma ba" initiation society depicting a human face with a chin extending into a bird's beak. Height: 35 cm. Minor damage and missing parts. Provenance: Collection of Patrice CHRISTY, an acknowledged specialist in wildlife conservation, particularly in Africa. He has co-authored several works on biodiversity, and his work has made a major contribution to understanding and preserving bird species in Africa, particularly in Gabon and Sâo-Tomé et Principe. All his objects were collected in the 1970s.