MENDE - BUNDU - SOWEI HELMET MASK ( Sierra Leone )
Early 20th century . 16''
Early 20th century . 16''
MENDE - BUNDU - SOWEI HELMET MASK .
The Mende culture is primarily found in Sierra Leone, Liberia, western Guinea and
Mali. Secret societies among the Mende are called Poro, which means "laws of
ancestor spirits, thereby imparting power to the Poro from ancestor spirits. The Poro
duties include settling disputes, controlling fishing and harvesting, and regulating the
economy and trading. Other societies within the Mende are responsible for military
training, agricultural fertility, general education, sexual conduct, and medical and social
services. The Mende women belong to a secret society called Sande which is
primarily responsible for training young girls for the adult roles they will soon
encounter. Mende girls are instructed in child care, homemaking, sexual matters abed
the proper attitude towards husbands and authority. Mende boys are instructed in
road maintenance, clearing land for agriculture, bridge and trap making, basketry and
weaving, traditional law and custom, and the art of enduring hardship and pain. Secret
societies dominate the lives of traditional West Africans and serve to establish social,
political, economic, and artistic rules that solidify and unite the culture.
The Sande society uses the word ''Sowei'' to represent the personification of the
society's spirit, medicine, and the most important masked dancer. The Sowei is
present at initiation school, brings male offenders to justice, and is the chief mourner at
funerals for Sande officials. Sowei mask are kept in special enclosures called Kende
where the mask attendant keeps medicine and masks.
The Mende culture is primarily found in Sierra Leone, Liberia, western Guinea and
Mali. Secret societies among the Mende are called Poro, which means "laws of
ancestor spirits, thereby imparting power to the Poro from ancestor spirits. The Poro
duties include settling disputes, controlling fishing and harvesting, and regulating the
economy and trading. Other societies within the Mende are responsible for military
training, agricultural fertility, general education, sexual conduct, and medical and social
services. The Mende women belong to a secret society called Sande which is
primarily responsible for training young girls for the adult roles they will soon
encounter. Mende girls are instructed in child care, homemaking, sexual matters abed
the proper attitude towards husbands and authority. Mende boys are instructed in
road maintenance, clearing land for agriculture, bridge and trap making, basketry and
weaving, traditional law and custom, and the art of enduring hardship and pain. Secret
societies dominate the lives of traditional West Africans and serve to establish social,
political, economic, and artistic rules that solidify and unite the culture.
The Sande society uses the word ''Sowei'' to represent the personification of the
society's spirit, medicine, and the most important masked dancer. The Sowei is
present at initiation school, brings male offenders to justice, and is the chief mourner at
funerals for Sande officials. Sowei mask are kept in special enclosures called Kende
where the mask attendant keeps medicine and masks.