Helmet mask Bundu Sowei Mende Sierra Leone Wood... Lot 190

Helmet mask Bundu Sowei Mende Sierra Leone Wood H.: 43 cm. Small gaps in the wood in places Helmet mask with a chubby face consisting of a high rounded forehead occupying the upper half of the face, the features concentrated in the lower half in a small diamond-shaped face: split coffee beans for the eyes, small pointed nose and tight mouth. The rings around the neck, an abundance of flesh, symbolize prosperity. The headdress is very elaborate. It consists of a shell with fine parallel incisions. At the front and at the back two serpentine braids are curved outwards. A hollowed out transverse crest crowns the whole. The social structure of the Mendé is provided by the male society Poro and the female society Sande, which prepares young girls for marriage. During the ceremonies associated with the Sande society, the women wear this mask called a bundu, which represents the ideal woman and an ancestor of the society. These masks are made by men and worn by women. At the end of the rituals, a spirit appears, wearing this mask with long raffia fibres and waving a whip to chase away evil spirits and sorcerers. Object made specifically for colonial trade with obvious decorative interest. Consultant : Jean-Pierre LACOSTE