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This impressive helmet mask was made by the
Mende people of Sierra Leone. It pertains to the
Sande women’s initiation society, which is the
only all-female masking society in Africa. It is a
superb example of the genre, with a small face
under a protuberant forehead, a pointed chin and
a thick neck decorated with a series of rings.
There is a series of bored holes around the
perimeter of the mask. The eyes are deeply
hooded, and the lips and nose have been carved
with exquisite skill and care. The hair is rendered
as a tall eminence made up of numerous narrow
anteroposteriorly-oriented herringbone braids
gathered together with a thong in the rear;
complex hairstyles are considered beautiful by
the Mende. The edge of the coiffure is marked
with a band of incised marks which represent
fecundity and attractiveness. The neck rings
represent water, the home of the “Now” spirit (see
below).
While currently being marginalized by pressure
from Islamic conventions concerning the
figurative in art, Mende society was originally
controlled by the Sande group. They were
charged with responsibility for a sacred medicine
known as halei, which was bestowed by deities
upon the Mende and their close neighbours, the
Gola. The power of halei was displayed during
“Now” dancing masquerades, which were
performed using these masks and long, dark
costumes, although the actual secrets of halei
were never divulged. There were various levels of
Sande initiation, each with its own mask. The
more ornate the mask, the higher the grade. Once
made and endowed with magic through strategic
application of oil and halei materials, the mask
stays with the owner until she retires, dies, or is
promoted.
These masks are rare and beautiful pieces of
socially important African art, and this is an
exceptional, high-ranking example.
- (PF.5170 (LSO))
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