Mende - Minsere Prestige Figure - Yassi society ( sierra Leone ),
early 19th century
early 19th century
One of the most prestigious Mende Statues by its movement and original details.
This significant figure is wearing the old fashion four buns. The divisions between are accented by
additional narrow braids gathered together on the lower and upper end of the bun, formed into knob,
emblished by two little silver coins in the front and two leather gree-gree on the side of the hair .
The coiffure is called the Ngovalova hairstyle.
Three Neck Rings :Sande initiation take their names from feast or the gathering of food. So it's time for
fattening and wood carvings, which are ritual accoutrement to Sande Ceremonies, depict females with three
rings of flesh at the neck to crease is judged healthy, fertile and beautiful, in contrast to dry and barren girls.
The Amulet hanging on the Neck consist of Arabic inscriptions on paper prepared by a marabout, folded
into small packets and then wrapped in cloth or encased in square, rectangular or triangular leather cases
as on the statue. Amulets of this sort are often worn by the Mende as protection against a variety of evils
and can be quite costly.
Scarification (Tear marks ) carving is frequently display on Mende face and body as on the piece, it appear
on all over the chest and in the back on the waist into Horizontal row of lines or squares which is
characteristic of Sherbro Bullom women. These incisions ( kesi ) results from practice common int he
Mendeland in early childhood to draw off harmful blood.
The figure is wearing also anklets in both legs and old type sandals.
This slender human sculptor is reputedly used by women diviners of the Yassi society. The Yassi society, is
reportedly travellers at the end of the last century, was a secret society common to both the mende and
Sherbro, it continued. This statue is part of the group which were undoubtedly carved before the turn of the
present century and it's called Minsere.
This significant figure is wearing the old fashion four buns. The divisions between are accented by
additional narrow braids gathered together on the lower and upper end of the bun, formed into knob,
emblished by two little silver coins in the front and two leather gree-gree on the side of the hair .
The coiffure is called the Ngovalova hairstyle.
Three Neck Rings :Sande initiation take their names from feast or the gathering of food. So it's time for
fattening and wood carvings, which are ritual accoutrement to Sande Ceremonies, depict females with three
rings of flesh at the neck to crease is judged healthy, fertile and beautiful, in contrast to dry and barren girls.
The Amulet hanging on the Neck consist of Arabic inscriptions on paper prepared by a marabout, folded
into small packets and then wrapped in cloth or encased in square, rectangular or triangular leather cases
as on the statue. Amulets of this sort are often worn by the Mende as protection against a variety of evils
and can be quite costly.
Scarification (Tear marks ) carving is frequently display on Mende face and body as on the piece, it appear
on all over the chest and in the back on the waist into Horizontal row of lines or squares which is
characteristic of Sherbro Bullom women. These incisions ( kesi ) results from practice common int he
Mendeland in early childhood to draw off harmful blood.
The figure is wearing also anklets in both legs and old type sandals.
This slender human sculptor is reputedly used by women diviners of the Yassi society. The Yassi society, is
reportedly travellers at the end of the last century, was a secret society common to both the mende and
Sherbro, it continued. This statue is part of the group which were undoubtedly carved before the turn of the
present century and it's called Minsere.