MENDE, BUNDU COSTUME 1, Sierra Leone

This costume has been vetted as authentic.  It is displayed on a wooden stand that can be unscrewed, disassembled and included if desired. It is shown with our Mende Mask 70 but would work with any Bundu mask with a raffia collar.  We have an extra raffia collar available for $200.

Bundu (or Sande), a women's association, is almost unique in Africa in that it controls the use of these masks, which embody Sowo, their guardian spirit. The masks usually include an elaborate hairstyle and attempt to represent serene feminine beauty, with high foreheads, small, compressed facial features, and voluminous neck-rings, depicting the desirable full-figured woman. Originally all had a dark raffia collar and were worn with a full, dark costume of raffia on cloth.