Ancestor figure – Wood – Mende – Sierra Leone

These idealized and carefully decorated sculptures of women symbolize the guardian spirit of the Sande female secret society. The society prepares the girls for the life they will lead as adult women. The figures are called ‘minsereah’ and are supposed to convey the will of the spirits. The are also used by the Yassi healing society, who are devoted to the art of magical healing through divination.
The Mende believe their ancestors live in the surrounding rivers, and the rings around the neck represent the ripples in the water as they emerge.
Good condition with traces of tribal use.

Provenance: Manfred Schäfer collection, ex- gallery owner from Ulm, Germany.