unknown Gola (West Atlantic)
Gola Primary

Sande Society Sowei Helmet Mask

Mid 20th century

14.37 x 9.449 x 9.252 in. (36.5 x 24 x 23.5 cm)

This object has the following keywords:

• African - Refers to the cultures of the continent of Africa, which is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and the Mediterranean Sea.
• carvings - Refers to works executed by cutting a figure or design out of a solid material such as stone or wood. It typically refers to works that are relatively small in size, are part of a larger work, or are not considered art. For large and medium-sized three-dimensional works of art, use the broader term "sculpture" or another appropriate term.
• ceremonial masks - Refers to masks created for or used in ceremonies or rituals.
• Gola
• helmet masks - Masks that enclose the head entirely or in part, especially those worn during African ceremonies and masquerades.
• horns - The non-deciduous excrescences, often curved and pointed, consisting of an epidermal sheath growing about a bony core on the head of certain mammals such as cattle, sheep, goats, and antelopes, or formed from matted hair on the rhinoceros. Horns serve as displays and as weapons of offence or defense.
• initiations - Ceremonies formally admitting someone into a community, organization, or other group, or investing them with a particular role or status.
• ritual objects - Objects used for a particular ritual activity, often as part of a ceremony.
• scarifications - Refers to permanent marks, such as symbols, patterns, or other designs, made on human skin by scarring, done for social or cultural reasons or for personal decoration.
• secret societies - Any of various societies, the members of which are sworn to keep the rules, activities, and purposes secret from nonmembers.
• West African - Styles and cultures from the region comprising the westernmost area of the African continent, defined by the United Nations as including the modern nations of Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Cape Verde, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo.
• women - Refers to female human beings from young adulthood through old age.
• wood - The principal tissue of trees and other plants that provides both strength and a means of conducting nutrients. Wood is one of the most versatile materials known.