Sande mask

Mende artist

second quarter of 20th century

Wood, raffia

Minneapolis Institute of Art

A wooden mask with raffia fringe is displayed against a neutral background. The mask features carved facial details and a braided headdress. A mask sometimes embodies ideals of physical and moral beauty or goodness. Here, the high forehead, downcast eyes, and elaborate coiffure suggest the pinnacle of female attractiveness among the Mende people. One of the very few types of masks worn by women in Africa, it accompanied young girls who had undergone initiation into the Sande association that prepared them for adulthood. The dyed raffia attached to the mask was part of a larger costume that would have entirely covered the dancer. Gallery G254 The Christina N. and Swan J. Turnblad Memorial Fund