Standing female figure of the "njayei" society
Description
wood, shiny rich blackish brown patina, beaded loincloth, of strong stature with extreme broad shoulders, hands clenched into fists, tripartite pendant, concentrical diamond-shaped tattoos on the belly, striking detail: carved with (military)boots, slightly dam. (breasts, navel), abrasion of paint, rep. (left foot tip), base;
ethnical groups in the region of Southern Sierra Leone encountered Western influence early in the colonial era. Western garments were often adopted as symbols of power and authority, just like the military boots in present case.
Such figures were falsely called “minsereh” and were ascribed to the “yassi” society for quite a long time. A new research approach was found by W. A. Hart in 1993 and is exposed in his essay “Sculptures of the Njayei Society…”. Accordingly the male/female figures are called “lomba”, respectively “kambei” and belong to the “njayei” society of the Mende. The sculptures are said to represent both deceased members of the association and, in some sense, the associations ancestral spirits, possibly the original founders of the local chapter. “Njayei” medicine is invoked in a number of different contexts. It is used to cure those suffering from mental or behavioral disorders and also certain physical conditions such as “craw-craw”, a skin-disorder.“Njayei” is also asociated with the fertility of the fields, inasmuch as “njayebla” are involved in pouring the libation for a good harvest.