Masque casque avec franges végétales ·  Libéria / Sierra Leone, Vai · ID: 3048341

Description

wood, silver sheet, base

These helmet masks are worn by the highest-ranking members of the female “sande” or (“bundu”) society, which is responsible for the education and initiation of girls.

At the final initiation ceremonies, which are held during the dry season, the newly initiated are led through the city by a masked figure called “ndoli jowei” (“the sowei who dances”). This masked figure is believed to embody the guardian spirit of the “sande”.

The “sande” is an important link between different ethnic groups in Sierra Leone and Liberia. The female helmet masks are found among others among the Gola, Loma, Vai, Temne, Bullom, etc. Ethnologists trace the origin of the “sande” back to the Mende. The structure of the bush camps for girls is similar to the “gree-gree” camp of the Vai.

L’objet Masque casque avec franges végétales numéro d’objet 3048341, a fait partie de la 97e Vente aux enchères du 6 novembre 2021. L’objet portant le numéro de lot 126 a atteint un prix de vente de 1 800 € pour un prix d’adjudication de 1 600 €.

Vous trouverez d’autres Masques et autres types d’objets populaires sur nos pages thématiques associées. Notre page sur le thème Art africain pourrait également vous intéresser.

Littérature comparée

Wolfram, Siegfried A., Liberia, Feldkirchen 2012, p. 63 f.