| 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. |
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