Mende Bundu helmet mask, Sierra Leone, c. 1970

The most important mask in Sande female society is the Bundu mask, which represents both the ancestors and the feminine ideal. This mask is sculpted by men outside the village in the forest and is worn by women. The sculptor's work is believed to be dangerous as the masks represent the water spirits that inhabit the ancestors. The shape of the Bundu mask attracts the river spirits. Bundu masks have a diamond-shaped face with a rounded forehead, under a high, elaborately shaped hairstyle. The face emerges from a wide neck, folded with rings superimposed on one another, creating puffy folds synonymous with prosperity. The mouth is tiny, a sign of obedience. Height: 37 cm Reproduced: Catalogue “Africa Babel: the Art of a Continent”, p.- 191 left
 
Exhibitions:
2022-2024 Island of Fuerteventura “Art Africa: Ancestral Light”. Lighthouse of the Entallada. Cabildo of Fuerteventura.
2021-2022 Panama City. Government of Panama. “Art Africa: the spirit of the ancestors”. Ministry of Culture Headquarters. Casco Viejo.
2019-2020 Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Caja Canarias Foundation. “Africa-Babel: the art of a Continent”. Headquarters Plaza Patriotismo.
2013-2015 Museum of Art of Africa and Oceania (Madao). La Granja de San Ildefonso, Segovia.
2005 “Black Africa”, Leather Museum.
2004 “Black Africa”. Caixa Laietana Foundation, Barcelona. Main exhibition hall