97 by Mende artists from Sierra Leone, who produced many works in the context of initiation into the female Sande Association, also called the Sande Society. All adult women in the region are connected to it. Girls enter the association around the start of puberty, following an extensive period of education and conditioning. The most famous art associated with it is the Sande helmet mask, whose hallmarks are burnished black surfaces and compact female facial features (figs. 2–6). The genre is unique, being the only mask type in sub-Saharan Africa carved in wood to represent a female character and worn by women. Since the initiatory Sande Association is widespread and pan-ethnic, the exhibition also includes helmet masks from the Vai (fig. 3) and the Southern Bullom, formerly known as the Sherbro (fig. 2). In the past, Mende initiates would adorn themselves with silver pendants in various shapes as well as ivory pendants with silver fittings. These were worn as status symbols and some may also have held Qur’anic texts as a protective device (fig. 7). Often characterized as the male counterpart of the Sande Association, the Poro Society also exists among various groups in the region. Here, masks also play a key role in shaping the initiation experience for participants and onlookers alike. Unlike Sande masks, Poro masks differ considerably in shape and medium between populations and even within the same group. The exhibition illustrates some of this diversity with examples from the Mende, Vai, and Loma (figs. 8 and 9). Another well-represented group is the Dan, whose homeland straddles the border between Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire. Masks are the most important art form of the Dan, being performed at initiations, funerals, and other religious and secular occasions. It is sometimes difficult to distinguish between masks of the Dan and their closely related but less numerous Mano neighbors (fig. 10). Artistry is highly valued in Dan society, so much so that a number of sculptors and blacksmiths from the past are still remembered by name today. Work by certain named artists is included in the exhibition, notably one of the most prominent Dan carvers of the twentieth century, Zon (c. 1900–1985), a descendant of blacksmiths. The mankala game board and miniature mask are two forms for which he is especially known (figs. 11 and 12), although he also produced full-size masks, feast ladles, and human and animal figures. The Upper Guinea Forest Region is also the source of historic stone sculpture, some of which dates back to the FIG. 7 (left): Square pendant. Mende, Sierra Leone. Early 20th century. Silver. H: 10 cm. The Estate of William Siegmann, Brooklyn. Photo: Minneapolis Institute of Arts. FIG. 8 (below): Gbini mask. Mende, Sierra Leone. Early 20th century. Wood, leopard skin, sheepskin, antelope skin, raffia fiber, cotton cloth, cotton string, cowry shells. H: 43.2 cm. Brooklyn Museum, Gift of William C. Siegmann, inv. 2004.77.1. Photo: Brooklyn Museum. Left, clockwise from top left FIG. 3: Ndoli jowei mask. Vai, Liberia. Late 19th century. Wood. H: 47 cm. The Estate of William Siegmann, Brooklyn. Photo: Minneapolis Institute of Arts. FIG. 4: Amara, also known as Pa Jobo (c. 1900–1970), ndoli jowei mask. Mende, Sierra Leone (Mano-Penubo, Bo District). First half of the 20th century. Wood. H: 36 cm. Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Gift of William Siegmann, inv. 2011.70.5. Photo: Minneapolis Institute of Arts. FIG. 5: Ndoli jowei mask. Southern Bullom (Sherbro), Sierra Leone. Early 20th century. Wood. H: 38 cm. The Estate of William Siegmann, Brooklyn. Photo: Minneapolis Institute of Arts. FIG. 6: Ndoli jowei mask. Mende, Sierra Leone. Mid 20th century. Wood. H: 39.4 cm. The Estate of William Siegmann, Brooklyn. Photo: Minneapolis Institute of Arts. FIG. 9 (right): Okobuzogui mask. Loma, Liberia. Mid 20th century. Wood, clay, copper alloy. H: 101.6 cm. Brooklyn Museum, A. Augustus Healy Fund and Designated Purchase Fund, inv. 2004.1. Photo: Brooklyn Museum.
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