Helmet mask "sowei" of the "bundu" society ·  Sierra Leone, Mende · ID: 3036798

Description

wood, shiny blackish brown patina, characteristic form: cylindrical, with a compressed diamond-shaped face and voluminous neck rolls, pierced around the rim, traces of insect caused damage (inside), fine cracks, slight traces of abrasion;
“sowei” 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 women 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”.

Comparing literature

Philips, Ruth B., Representing woman, Los Angeles 1995, p. 108, ill. 5.9