Bundu Mask - (Liberia) Sende

The Bundu mask is worn by young Sande women of modern day Liberia and Sierra Leone.  This ceremonial mask is one of the few that are made by men but owned and worn by young women as part of their rights of passage ceremony.  The mask is said to represent the essence (Sowei) of the Sende people.  

The Bundu mask is carved from a single piece of ebony wood and is a visual representation of the female beauty ideal.  The mask is worn over the young woman's head with long raffia grass covering the torso.  After the ceremony the masks are typically kept by by the young women until marriage.  

The Bundu mask was sourced directly from Liberia.