African, Republic of Sierra Leone
Bundu (Helmet Mask), Sande Society, n.d.
On view
Wood
Dimensions14 1/2 × 9 × 10 1/4 in. (36.8 × 22.9 × 26 cm)
Museum purchase, 1979.305
This mask was worn on top of the head, not over the face, with the face and entire body obscured by raffia. The mask was used exclusively by women of the Sande society, a pan-ethnic women’s initiation society among the Mende and neighboring peoples, including the Vai, Sherbro, and others, in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea, and Cote d'Ivoire.
The mask represents the Mende ideal of feminine beauty. Attention is given to the forehead because it is believed to be the residing place of an individual’s character and personality. Scarification on the cheeks mirror the marks traditionally made by a mother to her daughter shortly after birth as a protective blessing. Young women in this culture went through a period of initiation that could last up to four years. This process often included female circumcision, also known as female genital mutilation (FGM). It is not known for certain whether this mask would have been used in this initiation, but it could have been.
