Sowei Helmet Mask | Exhibition Print

Edition: Limited to 10 
Size: 29.7cm x 42cm 
Paper: Somerset Velvet for Epson - 255 gsm, 100% cotton rag

From the Mende and neighbouring peoples of Sierra Leone and western Liberia.

Sowei helmet masks belong to the all-female Sande society and are worn in public ceremony by senior women. Carved as a helmet to sit over the head, the mask is performed with a full raffia costume that conceals the body; in masquerade, the dancer embodies Sowei, the spirit and authority of the society.

The glossy black surface represents well-oiled skin, the face is composed; a high forehead for intelligence, downcast eyes for humility, and a small closed mouth, because spirits are not meant to speak as humans do.