Helmet mask "sowei" of the "bundu" society · Sierra Leone, Mendé · ID: 3033134
Karl-Ferdinand Schädler, Munich, Germany
Harald & Ursula Suhr, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada / Germany (1977)
Description
light brown wood, blackish brown patina, cylindrical form, a compressed, diamond-shaped face, crowned by a high towering fanciful coiffure with two separate carved birds, plaited plant fibre cuff, min. dam., cracks, minor missing parts, slight traces of abrasion, on wooden base;
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”.
L’objet Helmet mask “sowei” of the “bundu” society avec l’ID d’objet 3033134 a fait partie de la dernière vente aux enchères 70th tribal art auction dans 8 septembre 2012 le Zemanek-Münster Hôtel des ventes. L’objet portant le numéro de lot 89 a atteint un prix de vente de 1 300 €.
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Littérature comparée
Mato, Daniel & Charles Miller, Sande, Düsseldorf 1990, p. 125