Female Ancestral Mask (Ndoli Jowi/Nòwo)

early to mid-20th century

African Art

On view, 1st floor, African Art

This style of mask depicts an ideal ancestral woman at the height of her youth and allure. The rings around the neck are considered the essence of beauty, while the reserved expression of the face reflects the wisdom, grace, and self-control gained during initiation into the Sande association. The four small antelope horns on the sides of the mask symbolize protective medicine, while the clusters of cowrie shells in the hair represent wealth. Scarification marks in the form of tears (ngaya maki) are visible on the cheeks and further enhance the face.

Medium

Wood

Dimensions

16 × 18 × 9 in. (40.64 × 45.72 × 22.86 cm)

Credit Line

Bequest of William Siegmann

Accession Number

2016.119.1

Geography

Bo District, Sierra Leone

Culture

Mende, Sande association

Period

20th century

Classification

Masks

Disclaimer

Note: This electronic record was created from historic documentation that does not necessarily reflect the Yale University Art Gallery’s complete or current knowledge about the object. Review and updating of records is ongoing.

Provenance
William Siegmann acquired October 17, 1966; Bequest of William Siegmann, New York, N.Y., to Yale University Art Gallery, 2016
Bibliography
  • "Acquisitions July 1, 2016–June 30, 2017," https://artgallery.yale.edu/sites/default/files/files/bulletin/Pub-Bull-acquisitions-2017.pdf (accessed December 1, 2017).
  • Jan-Lodewijk Grootaers and Alexander Bortolot, eds., Visions from the Forests: The Art of Liberia and Sierra Leone (Seattle: University of Washington Press, 2014), 64–65, 136–137, no. 3.
Object copyright
Copyright Undetermined
Additional information

Object/Work type

ceremonial objects, masks (costume)

Subject

women

Technical metadata and APIs

IIIF

Open in Mirador

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