This blackened wood helment mask exhibits the ideals of feminine beauty of the Mende
society and the corresponding virtues inherent in the features: a high forehead
(intelligence, nobility), lustrous smooth skin (moral purity and youthfullness), small
mouth and ears (no indulgence in gossip), downcast eyes (quiet comteplativeness,
restraint, and secretiveness), elaborately braided hair (skilled ability in cosmetics), and
subcutaneous fat around her neck (health and well-being). Many of these ideals of beauty are modeled after the water spirit "Tingoi", a half woman half fish who embodies all mystical ideals of feminine beauty. This relationship to water may also be evoked in the slick or wet appearance of the mask's surface (Boone 129).
Overall , the mask exhibits the inner serenity and composure which women are expected to
have, as oppossed to the agressiveness of males. However this restraint should not be seen
as submissiveness. The cool exterior of African women masks inner strength and power.
And in fact, this unseen inner strength is often considered more powerful than an outer
strength.
In this mask, on top of her coiffure is a bird, difficult to read because it is missing its head
and tail. According to Professor Ray in "Aesthics and Meaning", the bird "has many
meanings: clairvoyance, love, fertility, power, danger, discipline, prudence, and
laughter." In Yoruba society the bird is directly related to the inner power of women. This
mystical power, aje , also gives women the ability to transform into nocturnal
creatures and birds (Drewal 549). Rowland Abiodun, in "Women in Yoruba Religious
Images" also mentions a 'bird power' which "enables women to accomplish anything they
wish" (3). An extraordinary unseen feature of this mask is that it is danced by women rather than men. It is used by the women's Sande Association of the Mende people in girls' initiation rites.
This mask represents the archetypal figure of a young woman who died prematurely. The sunken, closed eyes may relate to the woman's death. The mask is used to teach newly circumcised boys during their initiation rites. The rites are very exclusive and they are conducted in a private lodge outside the village. They learn secrets about mask
rituals which women
are forbidden to know, sex education ( including proper ways to relate to women, and
skills
needed to support a family) (Walker 38).
A costume of roots covers the dancer completely. Attached to the headpiece using strings, is a torso with carved breasts and legs (Kubik 25).
Exactly how this mask is used in the ceremonies is unknown. However, it probably
represents
the woman/mother from which every boy is taken away, a physical and mental separation,
as part of the initiation rite. The boys's roles as children are killed, and they are reborn
as men in society, independent from their mothers.
The Kifwebe mask is known for its wooden striations covering the face. These types of masks are used by the ruling elite to exhibit economic and political control by evoking supernatual forces. The masks are a direct link from the spirit world to the society. They are a physical representation with the which the members of the society interact(Hersak 147).
The physical atributes of the masks emphasize their supernatual connections: The nose, mouth, and eyes are highly abstracted. Patterned over the entire face are geometric grooves which remove the face even further from the usual human realm(148).
The costume for the Kifwebe mask is a mass of rafia fibers attached to the chin of the mask.
There are several differences between male and female Kifwebe masks. Generally female masks are white, or of lighter wood color, while the male masks have ared pigment. Symbolically whiteness is associated with health, purity, reproduction and peace. Male masks also have a large comb form which extends over the middle of the forehead inthe nose area. Female Kifwebe masks have changed little in form and color over time, relating possibly to female ideal qualities of constancy and continuity. On the other hand, male masks exhibit more varriation and innovations of form (150).
Introductory Page
Women's Roles in the Family
Women's Roles in the Spirit World
Map of Africa
Bibliography
