Helmet mask "ndoli jowei" ("sowei" / "nòwo")
Sierra Leone, Mende
sold
EUR 800
Provenance
Helmut Zake (1918-1995), Heidelberg, GermanyAnsgar Fasdernes, Haßloch, Germany
Zemanek-Münster, Würzburg, 28 May 2005, Lot 76
Werner Zintl, Worms, Germany
Size
H: 35 cm
H: 13.8 inch
Description
wood, metal,
The life of the Mende is regulated by a number of initiation societies. The most important are the “poro” society of men and the “sande” (or “bundu”) society of women. The main aim of the “sande” is to prepare girls for marriage and motherhood.
At the final initiation ceremonies, the newly initiated are led through the village by a masked figure called “ndoli jowei” (“the sowei who dances”). This masked figure is believed to embody the guardian spirit of the “sande”- society, called “ngafa”.
Publications
AHDRC: 0114473