helmet mask for Sande association
Culture or people Mende people
Creation date 1900-1930
Materials wood, pigment, mastic, fiber, metals, cowrie shells, claws
Dimensions 16 1/8 x 8 1/2 x 9 in.
Credit line Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Harrison Eiteljorg
Accession number 1989.387
http://www.imamuseum.org/explore/artwork/33830

Helmet masks of the Mende, Vai, Gola, Bassa and other peoples of the sub-region are the best documented instance of women’s masking in Africa. These masks are used by the Sande association, a powerful organization with social, political and religious significance. Although worn only by women, these masks, as is the case elsewhere in Africa, are carved by men.

Girls who have reached puberty are taken into a special initiation school in the bush for a number of months. During this time, they learn the secrets of the Sande association and acquire the skills and knowledge necessary for womanhood. It is primarily during this period that maskers—women who are already initiated—appear.

Masks which are owned by middle-level Sande association members embody personal protective spirits. In order to attract spirits, masks are made to be ideal presentations of feminine beauty with shiny black surfaces, neck rings and elaborate hairstyles. The masker, who sees through slits in the neck or eyes, wears a garment of blackened plant fibers.

The elaborate hairstyles represented in Sande masks resemble those worn by local women. They include amulets, cowrie shells and animal claws. In many areas in Africa, projections from the top of the head are believed to represent the wisdom and intelligence of an individual, and the pointed elements of some Sande masks may refer to this belief.