Standing female figure "minsereh" · Sierra Leone, Mende · ID: 3032889
not available anymore
Provenance
Michel Gaud, Saint Tropez, FranceSize
H: 60,5 cm
H: 23.8 inch
Description
wood, shiny blackish brown patina, elongated body with accentuated breast, scarifications on the back, min. dam., slight traces of abrasion, on wooden base;
the rare figures of the Mende are always of female gender and they are called “minsereh”. In service of the “yassi” society they mediate between humans and spirits and were consulted for oracle. Alike the masks they are dyed in black and their necks are arranged in rings.
Comparing literature
Schädler, Karl-Ferdinand, Lexikon Afrikanische Kunst und Kultur, München, Berlin 1994, p. 281