Sowei masks

E581901

Sowei masks are elaborately carved wooden helmet masks used by Mende women’s Sande societies in West Africa during initiation and ceremonial rites, symbolizing ideals of feminine beauty, wisdom, and spiritual power.

All labels observed (2)

Label Occurrences
Sowei mask 2
Sowei masks canonical 1

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (53)

Predicate Object
instanceOf African art object ⓘ
cultural heritage object ⓘ
helmet mask ⓘ
ritual mask ⓘ
aestheticIdeal composure ⓘ
health ⓘ
inner beauty ⓘ
modesty ⓘ
prosperity ⓘ
associatedWith Guinea ⓘ
Liberia ⓘ
Sierra Leone ⓘ
West Africa ⓘ
collectedBy Western museums ⓘ
covers entire head ⓘ
culturallyRestrictedTo women ⓘ
decoratedWith pigment ⓘ
raffia fiber ⓘ
textiles ⓘ
hasPart crown-like hair arrangement ⓘ
downcast eyes ⓘ
ear-like projections ⓘ
elaborate coiffure ⓘ
facial scarification ⓘ
high forehead ⓘ
ringed neck ⓘ
slit eyes ⓘ
small mouth ⓘ
madeOf wood ⓘ
performedIn Sande initiation ceremonies ⓘ
public masquerades ⓘ
performedWith costume of raffia and cloth ⓘ
roleInSociety embodies Sande spirit ⓘ
mediates between spirit world and community ⓘ
studiedIn African art history ⓘ
anthropology ⓘ
surfaceTreatment blackened ⓘ
polished ⓘ
symbolizes female adulthood ⓘ
feminine beauty ⓘ
fertility ⓘ
moral virtue ⓘ
spiritual power ⓘ
wisdom ⓘ
usedBy Bundu society ⓘ
Mende people ⓘ
Sande society ⓘ
usedInRitual ceremonial dances ⓘ
female initiation rites ⓘ
puberty rites ⓘ
wornBy Sowei ⓘ
senior Sande woman ⓘ
wornOn head ⓘ

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (3)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Mende → artForm → Sowei masks ⓘ
Sande society → hasKeySymbol → Sowei mask ⓘ
linked to: Sowei masks
Mende people → famousArtifactType → Sowei mask ⓘ
linked to: Sowei masks