A fragmentary Bundu helmet mask, Sierra Leone/Lliberia, an old mask, carved from hard wood with a blackened to brownish surface.



"The Mende initiation rite for young women is the only known masquerade tradition where the mask-wearers are female. Sowei refers most specifically to medicine—the kind of medicine that female healers/herbalists utilize. Embodied in this idea of medicine is a spiritual force. The mask, when danced, is a visual expression of this spirit. The term also refers to the custodian of the medicine — a Sande official." see Brooklyn Museum, smarthistory/bundu-sowei-helkmet.mask by Dr.Peri Klemm and Dr. Steven Zucker.

800 - 900,- Euro

sold

Height: 22 cm
Weight: 830 g