Sande society mask (sowei)
Mende; The Nguabu Master
Brooklyn Museum photograph
Caption
Mende; The Nguabu Master. Sande society mask (sowei), late 19th–early 20th century. Wood, pigment, metal, 15 1/2 x 9 1/4 x 10 1/4 in. (39.4 x 23.5 x 26 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Carll H. de Silver Fund, 74.64. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Culture
Artist
Title
Sande society mask (sowei)
Date
late 19th–early 20th century
Geography
Place made: Nguabu, Southern Province, Sierra Leone
Medium
Wood, pigment, metal
Classification
Dimensions
15 1/2 x 9 1/4 x 10 1/4 in. (39.4 x 23.5 x 26 cm)
Credit Line
Carll H. de Silver Fund
Accession Number
74.64
Frequent Art Questions
Masks like this one represent the Sande society's guardian spirit at public events such as funerals or the installations of chiefs. The features of the mask illustrate the group's ideal of feminine beauty, with a broad, high forehead, small narrow eyes, and an elaborate coiffure. The elegant hairstyles also symbolize the importance of social cooperation, since a woman needs the help of her friends to dress her hair.
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