Bundu mask
Bundu or Sowei Helmet Mask (Ndoli Jowei) Sande Society, Mende peoples (West African forests of Sierra Leone and Liberia). 19th to 20th century C.E. Wood, cloth, and ber.
- helmet mask; Sande society; several groups participated in masquerade; tradition; worn on top of head; person's face obscured; men made mask; women wore it; ritual for/made by women
- deep black sheen; smooth, glistening surface; small mouth, petite ears; downcast eyes; reserved; elaborated hairstyle; continuing tradition; rolls of fat under chin; suggest enough weight to bear children; after initiation, meant to marry
- event intended to fatten her up; scarification marks on cheeks.