London, 14 February 2013
The British Museum is hosting from 14 February to 28 April the exhibition “Sowei Mask: Spirit of Sierra Leone”.
Sowei masks, emblematic of the region, are worn by senior members of the all-female Sande Society. In this matriarchal tradition, they are used on the occasion of initiatory ceremonies that lead girls towards adulthood. They express the ideal of feminine beauty, health and serenity.
Masked performances, along with dances and music, play a major symbolic part in the Sande Society. Masks are worn by ndoli jowei (the sowei who dances), with a black raffia and textile costume.
The collection on display was gathered in 1886 by Thomas Joshua Alldridge for the Colonial Exhibition, London. It was emblematic of the exoticism and “otherness” of African culture and its spiritual systems.