African Arts Gallery

In African art, sowei masks, a feminine ideal in Mende culture, embody aquatic spirits. This mask made of light wood is a variant of the bundu among the most important masks among the Mendé. The face is concentrated in the lower part, while a sophisticated headdress, in shells, rises. The folds represent an abundance of flesh, a symbol of prosperity.
Painted black or tinted with a leaf wash, the mask was then rubbed with palm oil. Velvety matte patina, kaolin residue, grainy deposits, abrasions from use.br> The Mende, Vai and Gola cultures of Sierra Leone, Liberia and the west coast of Guinea are known for the helmet masks of the female initiation society Sandé which prepares young girls for the marriage . The male society is the Poro society. Relatively rare in ...

This African Mende mask forms one of the less widespread versions of the mask called bundu embodying an ancestor. The thick rings at the base symbolize an abundance of flesh and prosperity. The protrusions at the top are embellished with aluminum sheets. This mask, sculpted by men, was however used by women during initiation ceremonies. Painted black or stained with a leaf wash, the mask was then rubbed with palm oil. Grainy patina. Native restoration.
The Mende, Vaï and Gola cultures of Sierra Leone, Liberia and the west coast of Guinea are known in African art for helmet masks and more particularly those of the female initiation society Sandé< /i> which prepares young girls for marriage. The male society is the Poro society. To close the rituals, a "spirit" appears, wearing ...

French African art collection.
Groups living in Sierra Leone, Mende and Kissi, mostly rice farmers, worship stone statues from the Sapi kingdom. The latter extended, until the 16th century, from Guinea to Liberia.
The "nomoli" of the Mendé, placed on altars, benefited from libations in order to increase the harvest. These stone sculptures, mainly in steatite or saponite, called pombo (deceased) played on the other hand, among the Kissi of Guinea, a role of intermediary with the ancestors. The representations are varied, but one constant remains, the proportion of the head in relation to the body. Often depicted seated or squatting as is the case here, the characters offer exaggerated features and apparent teeth. A figure of a saurian crowns the head of the subject, its tail ...

In African art, sowei masks, a feminine ideal in Mende culture, embody aquatic spirits. This janiform mask forms an example of the most important type of mask called bundu among the Mendé. The face is concentrated in the lower part, while a high braided, mitre-like hairstyle rises. The face seems encased in a neck where the folds represent an abundance of flesh, a symbol of prosperity.
Painted black or tinted with a leaf wash, the mask was then rubbed with palm oil. Velvety matte patina, abrasions and desication cracks.br> The Mende, Vai and Gola cultures of Sierra Leone, Liberia and the west coast of Guinea are known for the helmet masks of the female initiation society Sandé which prepares young girls for the marriage . The male society is the Poro ...

Among the tribes living in Sierra Leone, Mende and Kissi, mostly rice farmers, worship stone statues from the Sapi kingdom. The latter extended, until the 16th century, from Guinea to Liberia.The Temné organized themselves into chiefdoms led by a supreme leader. The society ragbenle or mneke, responsible for fertility, intervened at the death of the chief. The association bundu, for its part, prepared the girls for their adult lives. The Temne and bullom have made a lot of 'Afro-Portuguese' ivories European orders. The 'nomoli' Begged, placed on altars, benefited from libations in order to increase the harvests. These stone sculptures, mostly in steatite or saponite, called pombo (deceased) played, on the other hand, among the Kissi of Guinea, an intermediary role with the ancestors. The ...

In African art, sowei form an idealized representation of female beauty through Mende culture. They embody aquatic spirits. This cephalomorphic mask forms a copy of the type of masks named bundu the most important in the Mendes. The face has a high bulging forehead forming the top half. The features are concentrated tightly in the lower part, which is engulfed in a neck where the folds symbolizing prosperity appear an abundance of flesh. Painted black or tinted with a leaf brush, the mask was then rubbed with palm oil. Semi-saturated patina, Grainy residual inlays, desication cracks and indigenous restoration using resin on a ridge.br-The Mende, Vaï and Gola cultures of Sierra Leone, Liberia and the west coast of Guinea are known in African art for masks and especially those of the ...

In de Afrikaanse kunst vormen de sowei maskers een geïdealiseerde voorstelling van vrouwelijke schoonheid door de Mende cultuur.
Ze belichamen watergeesten. Dit cefalomorfe masker is een voorbeeld van het type maskers dat bundu wordt genoemd en het belangrijkst is bij de Mende. Het gezicht heeft een hoog gewelfd voorhoofd dat de bovenste helft vormt, terwijl de smalle gelaatstrekken geconcentreerd zijn in het onderste gedeelte. Het gezicht lijkt te zijn gevat in een hals waarvan de plooien een overvloed aan vlees voorstellen, een symbool van welvaart. Het masker werd zwart geverfd of gekleurd met een bladwas en vervolgens ingewreven met palmolie. Fluweelachtig mat patina, erosies, lichte droogscheurtjes. De Mende-, Vaï- en Gola-culturen van Sierra Leone, Liberia en de westkust van ...

In African art, sowei form an idealized representation of female beauty through the Mende culture. They embody the water spirits. This cephalomorphic mask forms an example of the type of masks named bundu most important among the Mende. The face is encased in a thick ringed neck whose abundance of flesh symbolizes prosperity.
Painted black or stained with a leaf wash, the mask was then rubbed with palm oil.
Semi-satin patina, weak indigo residue, abrasions. The Mende, Vaï and Gola cultures of Sierra Leone, Liberia and the west coast of Guinea are known in African art for their helmet masks, particularly those of the female initiation society, Sandé, which prepares young girls for marriage. As for the male society, it is the Poro society.  Relatively rare in ...

French African art collection.
The groups living in Sierra Leone, Mende and Kissi, mostly rice farmers, venerate stone statues dating from the Sapi kingdom. The latter extended, until the 16th century, from Guinea to Liberia. The "nomoli" of the Mende, placed on altars, were given libations to increase harvests. These stone sculptures, mostly made of steatite or saponite, called pombo (deceased) played, on the other hand, among the Kissi of Guinea, a role of intermediary with the ancestors . The representations vary from the most summary form to elaborate sculptures. This is a character standing on short bent legs, his hands meeting in front of a protruding bust, with striations. Height on base : 19 cm.

In African art, sowei form an idealized representation of female beauty through Mende culture. They embody aquatic spirits. This cephalomorphic mask forms a copy of the type of masks named bundu the most important in the Mendes. The face has a high bulging forehead forming the top half. The features are concentrated tightly in the lower part, which is engulfed in a neck where the folds symbolizing prosperity appear an abundance of flesh. Painted black or tinted with a leaf brush, the mask was then rubbed with palm oil. Semi-saturated patien, grainy residual inlays, erosions, slight cracks of desication.br-The cultures Mende, Vaï and Gola, Sierra Leone, Liberia and the west coast of Guinea, are known in African art for masks and especially those of the women's initiation society Sandé ...

In African tribal art, sowei are an idealized representation of female beauty seen through The Mende culture.They embody aquatic minds. This cephalomorphic mask forms a copy of the type of masks named bundu the most important in Mendé. The face has a high bulging forehead forming the upper half. The features are concentrated closely in the lower part, which is engulfed in a neck where the folds symbolizing prosperity evoke an abundance of flesh.
At the top, a sculpture of a woman whose hairstyle, gathered in a thick braid, wraps around the head of the mask until it ends on the posterior part in a mermaid tail. Painted black or tinted with a leaf brush, the mask was then rubbed with palm oil. Desication crack.
Mende, Vaï and Gola cultures, Sierra Leone, Liberia and the west ...

Ex-collection Of Luxembourg African art.
The sowei are an idealized representation of female beauty seen through the Mende culture.They embody aquatic spirits. Featuring scarifications under hollowed-out palpebral slits, this African Mende mask is a copy of the type of masks named bundu the most important among mendé. It has a high bulging forehead occupying the upper half of the face, the features concentrating in the lower half. Incisions follow one another between the rings of the neck that evoke an abundance of flesh symbol of prosperity. The bun headdress consists of fine braids picked up in side shells. Painted black or tinted with a leaf brush, the mask was then rubbed with palm oil. Skate to the velvety touch. Localized abrasions revealing a light wood. The Mende, Vaï and ...