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Mende Mask

"Mende Mask, " Carved Wooden Mask created in Sierra Leone c. 1930
Located in Milwaukee, WI
This mask was hand-carved by an unknown artist from the Mende tribe in Sierra Leone, Africa. It
Category

1930s Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Wood

Mende Women's Helmet Mask
Located in Chicago, IL
This helmet mask created by the Mende people of Sierra Leone was made for the women of their tribe
Category

Mid-20th Century Sierra Leonean Tribal Masks

Materials

Wood

Mende Women's Helmet Mask
Mende Women's Helmet Mask
$1,280
H 15 in W 7.5 in D 10 in
African Mende Carved Wood Helmet Mask
Located in Astoria, NY
African Mende Carved Wood Helmet Mask, together with Segy Gallery documentation, atop a square
Category

Antique Late 19th Century Sierra Leonean Tribal Masks

Materials

Wood

African Mende Carved Wood Helmet Mask
African Mende Carved Wood Helmet Mask
$850
H 16 in W 9.25 in D 9.5 in
Mende Helmut Mask
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
An early 20th century example. The masks of the Sande society were used exclusively in masquerade
Category

Early 20th Century African Mounted Objects

Materials

Wood

Mende Helmut Mask
Mende Helmut Mask
$2,600
H 21 in W 7.5 in D 7.5 in
African Mende Helmut Mask
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Carved Helmut masks of this type were made by the Sande society of the Mende people of Sierra Leone
Category

20th Century Sierra Leonean Tribal Tribal Art

Materials

Wood

African Mende Helmut Mask
African Mende Helmut Mask
$2,000 Sale Price
20% Off
H 14 in W 7 in D 9 in
Fine 'Sowei' Mask. Mende, Sierra Leone
Located in London, GB
This fine Mende ‘Sowei’ mask was worn exclusively by women. The mask represents an ideal of
Category

Mid-20th Century Sierra Leonean Tribal Tribal Art

Materials

Wood

Fine 'Sowei' Mask. Mende, Sierra Leone
Fine 'Sowei' Mask. Mende, Sierra Leone
$4,360
H 17.72 in W 11.42 in D 11.82 in

Recent Sales

A Mende Sowei Mask
Located in Paris, ile de france
a Mende Sowei Mask,Sierra Leone : The Sande society is exclusively a womans society responsible for
Category

Vintage 1930s Sierra Leonean Sculptures

Materials

Wood

A Mende Sowei Mask
A Mende Sowei Mask
H 13 in W 9.06 in D 9.45 in
Mende Women's Helmet Mask
Located in Chicago, IL
This helmet mask created by the Mende of Sierra Leone was made for the women of their tribe to wear
Category

Mid-20th Century Sierra Leonean Tribal Masks

Materials

Wood

Mende Women's Helmet Mask
Mende Women's Helmet Mask
H 12.5 in W 7.5 in D 8.5 in
African Mende Helmet Mask
Located in Chicago, IL
This helmet mask created by the Mende people of Sierra Leone was made for the women of their tribe
Category

Mid-20th Century Sierra Leonean Tribal Tribal Art

Materials

Wood

African Mende Helmet Mask
African Mende Helmet Mask
H 15 in W 9 in D 10 in
Mende Bundu Sande Society Womens Helmet Mask Sierra Leone, Africa
Located in Point Richmond, CA
Mende Bundu or Sowei mask of the Sande Society, Sierra Leone, Africa, early 20th century. The only
Category

Mid-20th Century Sierra Leonean Tribal Tribal Art

Materials

Wood

Tribal African Mende Bundu Helmet Janus 'Two Face' Wood Mask, Early 20th Century
Located in Point Richmond, CA
Offered by Scott McCue Tribal African Mende Bundu Helmet Janus (Two Face) wood mask, early 20th
Category

Early 20th Century Sierra Leonean Tribal Tribal Art

Materials

Wood

Mende Helmet Mask
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Carved Helmut masks of this type were made by the Sande society of the Mende people of Sierra Leone
Category

20th Century Sierra Leonean Tribal Tribal Art

Materials

Wood

Mende Helmet Mask
Mende Helmet Mask
H 11.5 in W 10.5 in D 9 in
Mende Bundu Sande Society Womens Helmet Mask Sierra Leone, Africa
Located in Point Richmond, CA
Mende Bundu or Sowei mask of the Sande Society, Sierra Leone, Africa, early 20th century. The only
Category

Mid-20th Century Sierra Leonean Tribal Tribal Art

Materials

Wood

Mid-20th Century Tribal Bundu Mende Mask, Sierra Leone
Located in New York, NY
Beautiful and historically fascinating, this tribal Mende mask will make the perfect addition to
Category

Mid-20th Century Sierra Leonean Tribal Masks

Materials

Wood

Mende Helmet Mask from Sierra Leone
Located in Cambridge, MA
A Sande society helmet mask from the Mende people of Sierra Leone, ca. 1950. Unusual in that it is
Category

Vintage 1950s Sierra Leonean Tribal Tribal Art

Materials

Wood

Mende Helmet Mask from Sierra Leone
Mende Helmet Mask from Sierra Leone
H 13.75 in W 8 in D 8.75 in
Rare Wooden African Helmet Mask from Mende Sande Society Tribe
Located in Sarasota, FL
A rare well carved wooden African helmet mask from Mende Sande Society Tribe living in Sierra Leone
Category

Early 20th Century Sierra Leonean Tribal Art

Wooden African Tribal Helmet/Mask
Located in Sarasota, FL
Wooden Tribal Mask from the Mende Tribe of Sierra Leone, Africa. Rich, deep brown in color.
Category

Antique 19th Century Sierra Leonean Tribal Art

Materials

Wood

Wooden African Tribal Helmet/Mask
Wooden African Tribal Helmet/Mask
H 14 in W 8.5 in D 10 in

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Kota Reliquary Figure Gabon, Christies Provenance
Located in Sharon, CT
Kota Reliquary of classic form. Brass and iron over wood. On an old base, with an old number label. Ex Estate of Willliam Kohler, Christies NY 'Important Tribal Art' Nov 20 1997.
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Reliquary Kota, Gabon, 1925
Located in Paris, FR
This exceptional Kota reliquary comes from the Mahogwe tribe, which lives along the Ogooué River in Gabon. The Mahogwe are part of the Kota ethnic group located in the northeastern r...
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Vintage 1920s Gabonese Tribal Tribal Art

Materials

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Reliquary Kota, Gabon, 1925
Reliquary Kota, Gabon, 1925
$25,944
H 16.54 in W 5.91 in D 3.15 in
Dan Janus Double Face Protective Kinde Charm, Ivory Coast, West Africa
Located in Point Richmond, CA
Dan Janus double faced protective Kinde charm, from the Dan people of Ivory Coast, West Africa. Used as a charm for protection, with two different faces to show the duality of the w...
Category

Mid-20th Century Ivorian Tribal Tribal Art

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African Tribal Yoruba, Nigeria Rider Figure Offering Bowl Early 20th Century
Located in Point Richmond, CA
Early Yoruba offering bowl in the from of a male figure with a beard riding on horse back surrounded by four small attendants, finely carved with nice patina from native use. Probabl...
Category

Early 20th Century Nigerian Tribal Tribal Art

Materials

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African Nigeria Epa Helmit Mask with Provenance
Located in Atlanta, GA
An Epa helmet mask, Nigeria, Africa. Fully carved mother and child; painted red and black with touches of white; Provenance: The Children's Museum of Indianapolis; The Eiteljorg Mu...
Category

Vintage 1950s Nigerian Tribal Tribal Art

Materials

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Colonial West African Baule Baoule Figure Sculpture Woman wearing loincloth
Located in Norwich, GB
An elegant African sculpture from the West African Baoulé or Baule people, depicting a young woman wearing a loincloth. Smooth black lightly worn patina.
Category

Mid-20th Century Tribal Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Wood

Romare Bearden 1972 Mother and Child Screenprint
By Romare Bearden
Located in San Francisco, CA
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Category

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Materials

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Early 20th Century East African Carved Headrest, Ethiopia (Kambatta People)
Located in Ottawa, Ontario
Showing a crescent shaped headrest braced by flattened 'V' shaped supports rising from a cupped base, decorated overall with hand carved linear motifs and exhibiting an old rubbed su...
Category

Early 20th Century Ethiopian Tribal Tribal Art

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Early 20th Century African Antique Wood Comb with Human Head
Located in Point Richmond, CA
Early 20th Century African Antique Wood Comb with Human Head From the Chokwe Culture of Angola. A fine, old, much used comb with a glossy, glasslike patina. Of traditional form with...
Category

Early 20th Century Angolan Other Tribal Art

Materials

Wood

Ashanti Maternal Fertility Figure
Located in Atlanta, GA
On offer is an Ashanti female fertility figure from Ghana, West Africa, circa Mid-20th century. Carved from a single block of wood, the statue depicts a female with typical coiffure ...
Category

Mid-20th Century Ghanaian Tribal Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Glass, Wood

Ashanti Maternal Fertility Figure
Ashanti Maternal Fertility Figure
$2,000 Sale Price
33% Off
H 22 in W 6 in D 6 in
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Located in Point Richmond, CA
Blessed by time, an early beautiful Yoruba female figure with baby riding on back, presenting an offering bowl in the form of a chicken with a removable top. Great Yoruba mother's fa...
Category

Early 20th Century Nigerian Tribal Tribal Art

Materials

Wood

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Located in Point Richmond, CA
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Category

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Early Standing Bambara or Malinke Female Figure Deep Patina, Mali West Africa
Located in Point Richmond, CA
Early Bambara or Malinke standing female figure with arms at sides, heavy wear and polish from handling and use. Possibly cut from the top of prestige staff. Fine refined abstract ...
Category

Mid-20th Century Malian Tribal Tribal Art

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Powerful Scarified Makonde Portrait Helmet Mask Tanzania, Early 20th C Africa
Located in Point Richmond, CA
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Category

Early 20th Century Tanzanian Tribal Tribal Art

Materials

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"Secret Society Mask-Sierra Leone W. Africa, " Wood created circa 1930
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Secret Society Mask-Sierra Leone W. Africa," is a wood sculpture of a woman's head. The hair has been sculpted with intricate detail, and metal hair adornments have been added. 14"...
Category

1930s Tribal Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Wood

African Basuku Helmet Mask
Located in Chicago, IL
During their five hundred year history in the Southern Congo, the Basuku tribe developed a series of intricate rituals built around their skilled mask makers. This particular example...
Category

20th Century Congolese Tribal Masks

Materials

Wood

African Basuku Helmet Mask
African Basuku Helmet Mask
$1,880
H 12.5 in W 10.5 in D 13 in
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Mende Mask For Sale on 1stDibs

Choose from an assortment of styles, material and more with respect to the mende mask you’re looking for at 1stDibs. Frequently made of wood, every mende mask was constructed with great care. There are many kinds of the mende mask you’re looking for, from those produced as long ago as the 20th Century to those made as recently as the 20th Century. Each mende mask bearing hallmarks is very popular.

How Much is a Mende Mask?

The average selling price for a mende mask at 1stDibs is $2,500, while they’re typically $880 on the low end and $10,125 for the highest priced.

Finding the Right Folk-art for You

Folk art refers to a genre of art that shares the creator’s traditions, offering not just an artistic display but an opportunity to learn about a culture. Vintage, new and antique folk art typically reflects a heritage or location. It can include utilitarian objects and handmade art as diverse as weather vanes, portraiture and paintings, carnival art, quilts and duck decoys.

American folk art is frequently valued because of the traditional skills involved, like weaving, hand-carving wood and even stonework. Many folk artists are self-taught, while some train as apprentices within their community. By using available materials and taking a personal approach to their creations, artists ensure each piece is unique and conveys a story. Native American folk art includes functional objects reflecting their heritage, such as baskets, textiles and wooden pieces.

During the Great Depression, artistic materials in America were hard to come by, so artisans used discarded wood from cigar boxes and shipping crates to make highly stylized, notched pieces — most often picture frames and boxes — that are today sought after by collectors. This folk art style is called tramp art and was popular from roughly 1870 until the 1940s.

Folk art brings vibrant culture and traditions into your home. Browse an extensive collection of folk art on 1stDibs.

Questions About Mende Mask
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    The purpose of a Mende Sowei mask was to hide a dancer's head and body during ritual performance. It symbolizes the connection between mankind and the spiritual world. On 1stDibs, shop a variety of African masks from some of the world’s top sellers.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    One distinctive aspect of Mende mask tradition is that they are best known for the helmet masks used by the Sande society, one of the few women’s societies that are known to use masks. In most African mask traditions, they are only used by men’s societies. On 1stDibs, find a collection of Mende masks.