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Lloyd Kepferle Collection #198

Temne Helmet Mask. Used by the Bundu Secret Women's Society, usually during initiation ceremonies. The crocodile on top of the mask is rare in helmet masks, as are the four faces. The wrinkles at the bottom of the mask indicate fatness, which is considered a sign of beauty and wealth. The number of faces supposedly indicates that Bundu Society in which the mask was used covered a large area encompassing several sub groups of the Temne. Though the mask is not very old, as indicated by the fact that the holes for the raffia were drilled rather than burnt in, it has been a functional mask.

E-0939 Helmet Mask
E-0939 Reverse side Helmet Mask
E-0940 Door
81 cm high 51 cm wide