And while amulets possess a range of aesthetic styles and applications, they are all alike in their preventive ability to protect against future harm. Protective devices made from a range of natural and man made materials occur among nearly all the ethnic groups of sub-Saharan Africa.
Many amulets can express in miniature the aesthetic and stylistic qualities of larger sculptures.
The Dan believe in a creator named Zlan who gave them the mask form as a defense against affliction. The sagbwe mask appears during the dry season. With its large, round eyes, the mask inspects Dan villages to make sure that no fire has been left burning. It also wakes the villagers in the morning and makes them run behind it for warmth and protection from sickness. Among the Dan, the go priest is regarded as the ancestors' substitute and the direct mediator between the living and the dead.