Helmet mask "sowei" of the "bundu" society · Sierra Leone, Mende · ID: 3031434

Name: Helmet mask "sowei" of the "bundu" society
SKU: 3031434
Availability: Discontinued

not available anymore

Provenance

Private Scottish Collection, UK

Size

H: 46 cm

H: 18.1 inch

Description

wood, blackish brown patina, cylindrical form, a compressed, diamond-shaped face, crowned by a high towering fanciful coiffure with two birds and two snakes, slightly dam., cracks, paint rubbed off, rep. (snakes);
such helmet masks are commissioned and worn by women, although carved by men. They are associated with the education and socialization of young females, and their excision ceremonies are supervised by the “bundu” or “sande” societies. Senior woman wear these masks at the termination of initiation ceremonies in order to embody their patron spirit a persona of fecundity and grace, known as “sowei”.

The object Helmet mask “sowei” of the “bundu” society with the object ID 3031434 was last part of the auction 72nd tribal art auction at March 9, 2013 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house and had the lot number 257.

You can find more Masks and other popular object types on our related topic pages. You may also be interested in our page on African art.