240157 - Large African Mende Sowei Sande Society Mask

Description: Large African Mende Sowei Sande Society Mask from Sierra Leone.Height; 45 cm.This Mende helmet mask is from the mid of the 20th century and purchased in my private collection in 1998, with a certificate of authenticity. Mende culture is known in African art for its beautiful initiation masks and more specifically those of the Sande initiation society.These masks are relatively rare in Africa and are made by men and worn by women.Beautiful polychromy.Mende is the name of an ethnic group living in Liberia, Serra Leone and Guinea-Bissau. They number approximately 700,000 and their oral tradition indicates that they came from Sudan between the 2nd and 16th centuries. The Mende people settled in their current habitat, spread across northwestern Liberia and southwestern Sierra Leone, at the end of the 18th century, after long resisting the hegemony of the kingdom's coastal areas ruled by the present peoples of Baga and Landuman. Located in a humid tropical zone, the territory of the Mende, covered with secondary forests, pastures and wooded savannas, is crossed by many rivers. The family organization of the Mende is based on patriclans (clans structured by patrilineal descent) and marriage, which is based on a very wide polygyny, is of virilocal residence (the spouses live with the husband's family).A SUMMARY OF OUR AFRICA-GALLERY SELLING POLICIES.Our Africa-gallery specialized in Ethiopian tribal art, collected and sell tribal used art from all over Africa and special from Ethiopia.Our Gallery have a collection of authentic, original and traditional art from Africa. This collection including masks, statues, pottery, musical instruments, manuscripts, headrests and other antique, primitive art and various unusual items.I hardly ever buy direct from Africa. All my items that I sell are old and (tribal) used. My objects come from European and American private collections, auction houses, fellow dealers and other collectors from around the world.This site gives you an impression of our stock and activities. Authentic, museum quality African tribal art at wholesale pricesWe strive to provide deeper public appreciation for high quality African art and to make it accessible to all collectors.High quality masks, carvings, statues, fetishes, animal figures, ritual objects and bronzes displayed here will add beauty to any home and value to any collection.In addition, an ever-growing demand for rapidly disappearing original African tribal art makes it a sound investment.As long-time experienced collectors, we carefully select and authenticate every artifact. Shown here are original, high quality, hand-crafted pieces made of wood or bronze which can be yours at a fraction of gallery prices! Years of traditional use added distinction to many of them.We guarantee the authenticity of every item and your complete satisfaction. We make every effort to research and document the history of each artifact.In our gallery you will find a nice selection of our stock. If you find something that is not on the site, let us know. We always have a large stock of items that are not on our site.Please let us know if you do not see items you want. We may be able to find them for you.Stand - The stand is not included in the price, you can buy it via the "stands" button.Payment - PayPal preferred. For other payment methods please contact us before bidding. Shipping - We ship worldwide. We try and get shipments out as quickly as possible after payment, usually shipping four times weekly. Combined shipping - For buyers of multiple items please email us when done shopping for your combined invoice with reduced shipping fees. For urgent deliveries we can arrange courier shipments via DHL (additional charges incurred to be covered by the buyer). Delivery – Delivery to most destinations is anywhere between 2 to 8 business days inside Europe and 16 to 21 business days to the rest of the world, after receiving our email confirmation that the item has been shipped. Parcels shipped from the Netherlands are sent using the Post NL and the parcel status is traceable online. Refunds & Returns – We are aiming for your complete satisfaction. If for any reason you are not 100% satisfied with your purchase please return the item to us for a complete refund or exchange. No hassles, no questions asked. Refunds will be issued via PayPal or by Bank only. The shipping cost are not refund. Please Contact Us – For any questions, concerns, or clarifications before bidding on or purchasing an item. We are usually able to respond within 24 hours. To avoid spam filters please establish initial contact through the eBay messaging system. Thank you for visiting our site!Kind Regards,Gijs van Kuijk

Price: 325 USD

Location: Hengelo OV

End Time: 2025-02-13T15:08:27.000Z

Shipping Cost: 49.95 USD