Detail View: The AMICA Library: Sande Society Mask
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AMICA ID:
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MIA_.72.69.1
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AMICA Library Year:
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1998
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Object Type:
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Sculpture
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Creator Name:
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Mende
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Creator Nationality:
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African; West African; Sierra Leonean
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Creator Role:
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artist
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Creator Name-CRT:
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Mende
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Title:
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Sande Society Mask
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View:
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Front
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Creation Date:
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19th century
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Creation Start Date:
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1800
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Creation End Date:
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1899
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Materials and Techniques:
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wood and raffia
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Dimensions:
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H.13 x W.8 x D.8 in.
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Measurement Unit:
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in
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AMICA Contributor:
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The Minneapolis Institute of Arts
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Owner Location:
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Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
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ID Number:
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72.69.1
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Credit Line:
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The Christina N. and Swan J. Turnblad Memorial Fund
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Rights:
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Context:
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Among the Mende people of Sierra Leone, young girls are initiated into adulthood by participating in the Sande society, a women's secret society that trains girls in the skills they need to live as productive women. The Sande masks reflect the ideal of feminine beauty, and embody the protective spirit, bondo. The neck rings on this mask are said to mimic those of a chrysalis, a butterfly's cocoon, and symbolize the metamorphosis of the young initiates into beautiful, powerful Mende women. |
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Related Image Identifier Link:
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MIA_.1435c.tif
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