"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.
Category
1930s Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Wood
Mende Mask
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 to wear while dancing.
Category
Mid-20th Century Sierra Leonean Tribal Masks
Materials
Wood
Mende Sowei Bundu Helmet Mask, Sande Society, Sierra Leone
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Carved from a single piece of hardwood, this Sowei helmet mask represents the Sande society's ritual use among the Mende people of Sierra Leone.
Category
20th Century Sierra Leonean Tribal Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Wood
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 the initiation of young girls into womanhood and instructing them on the duties th...
Category
Vintage 1930s Sierra Leonean Sculptures
Materials
Wood
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, Africa for use in masquerades by young women in initiation rites on their passage...
Category
20th Century Sierra Leonean Tribal Tribal Art
Materials
Wood
Fine 'Sowei' Mask. Mende, Sierra Leone
Located in London, GB
This fine Mende ‘Sowei’ mask was worn exclusively by women.
Category
Mid-20th Century Sierra Leonean Tribal Tribal Art
Materials
Wood
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 while dancing.
Category
Mid-20th Century Sierra Leonean Tribal Masks
Materials
Wood
African Mende Carved Wood Helmet Mask
Located in Astoria, NY
African Mende Carved Wood Helmet Mask, together with Segy Gallery documentation, atop a square ebonized wood base.
Category
Antique Late 19th Century Sierra Leonean Tribal Masks
Materials
Wood
Mende Helmut Mask
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
The Mende tribe is located in Sierra Leone.
Category
Early 20th Century African Mounted Objects
Materials
Wood
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 to wear while dancing.
Category
Mid-20th Century Sierra Leonean Tribal Tribal Art
Materials
Wood
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.
Category
Mid-20th Century Sierra Leonean Tribal Tribal Art
Materials
Wood
Tribal African Mende Bundu Helmet Janus 'Two Face' Wood Mask, Early 20th Century
Sold
H 16 in W 8.5 in D 10 in
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 century Early Mende women's society Bundu Mask, with two faces, some cracks, insect d...
Category
Early 20th Century Sierra Leonean Tribal Tribal Art
Materials
Wood
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.
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 any collection or home decor scheme.
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.
Category
Vintage 1950s Sierra Leonean Tribal Tribal Art
Materials
Wood
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.
Category
Antique 19th Century Sierra Leonean 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, Africa for use in masquerades by young women in initiation rites on their passage...
Category
20th Century Sierra Leonean Tribal Tribal Art
Materials
Wood
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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, 2022One 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.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022The 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.
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