Female figure carved with elaborate coiffure, bare breast, and Sewa Mende scarification on the cheeks. The figurine has rounded shoulders The hands are clasped below the abdomen. The figure stands in a mortar. The black patina shows indications of handling. The figurine is in excellent condition.
GEOGRAPHY / CULTURE GROUP: Sierra Leone, Mende. The Mende people are a population of farmers. They take tremendous pride in their cultural practices. The society is arranged in chiefdoms of different lineages. The Mende are known as skilled carvers, dancers, and sculptors of wood, specializing in Bundu masks and in the female statues, Minserehs, connected with divination and healing rites.
