Sande Society Helmet Mask (sowei)
Artist
Artist Unknown
Dateearly-mid 20th century
MediumWood
Dimensions14 ½ × 8 × 9 ¼ in. (36.8 × 20.3 × 23.5 cm)
ClassificationsWood
Credit LineGift of Reginald and Celeste Hodges
Object number2019.13.6
On View
Not on viewWhile art lovers and historians strive to read the sowei’s importance through form and coloring, for many Sierra Leonean women, it is the performance, not the mask, that embodies the poise, elegance, and refinement of female power—a learned sense of being, communicated transitively. Each mask is bestowed an individual name often relating to the woman’s adept dance steps, knowledge of which is usually lost in the collection process.
[A. Maples, "The People's Collection, Reimagined," 2022]ProvenanceCollected in Bo, Sierra Leone by Reginald Hodges, early 1970s; given to NCMA, 2019.
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Artist Unknown
