38 - SOWEI HELMET MASK - Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea, Ivory Coast - Mende

SOWEI HELMET MASK - Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea, Ivory Coast - Mende First half of the 20th century. Wood, black patina. Dimensions: 35 cm. A helmet mask depicting a woman’s head according to Mende standards of beauty: the fullness of her figure is emphasized by the folds at the neck. The cheeks also follow the contours of the neck’s folds, as do the elongated, almond-shaped eyes. The nose is small and slender, overlooking a small mouth that meets the fold of the cheeks. The highly detailed headdress consists of long, wide braids that end in a bun on the top of the head. These masks belong to the women’s initiation society known as Sande. It is the female counterpart to the Poro society, a male initiation society. Within the Sande initiation society, women are responsible for the masks and wear them during ceremonies. Research and documentation: Coryse Mwape – Art historian specializing in ancient African art. Internal ref: 200