Sowei helmet mask of the female Sande society. Mende, Sierra Leone, late 19th century-early 20th century.

Sowei helmet mask of the female Sande society. Mende, Sierra Leone, late 19th century-early 20th century.
Wood, vegetable fibers.
Provenance:
- Lore Kegel, Hamburg, Germany, acquired 1958.
- Boris Kegel-Konietzko, Hamburg, Germany.
Measurements: 41 cm (with fibers: ca. 75 cm) x 23 x 26 cm.

The Sande women's society, or Bundu, found in Liberia and Sierra Leone, initiated girls into adulthood by preparing them for marriage, family life and participation in the female sphere of community life. When they were deemed ready, the senior teacher and society leader would present them to the community as adult women. On this occasion, each leader wore a voluminous raffia fiber costume and a wooden helmet mask embodying sowei, the water spirit and guardian deity of the Sande society. In most societies, only men have the right to carve or wear masks. The exception is the Sande helmet mask: although carved by men, it is worn exclusively by women.