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Mende / Bassa Female Helmet Mask, Sierra Leone / Liberia #891Mende Bassa Sowei Helmet Mask, Sierra Leone Liberia #891 Sowei Mask used by the exclusively female Sande (Mende) or Bondo Bundu (Temne) Societies. In sub Saharan Africa, traditionally only men are permitted on Ritual Occasions to dance wooden masks. The practice of Women wearing masks seems to have been brought to several populations of Sierra Leone and Liberia, such as the Temne, Gola and Vai, by the Mende and Mande speaking People from the Northern
- Mende / Bassa Sowei Helmet Mask, Sierra Leone / Liberia #891
- Sowei Mask used by the exclusively female Sande (Mende) or Bondo/Bundu (Temne) Societies.
- In sub-Saharan Africa, traditionally only men are permitted on Ritual Occasions to dance wooden masks. The practice of Women wearing masks seems to have been brought to several populations of Sierra Leone and Liberia, such as the Temne, Gola and Vai, by the Mende and Mande-speaking People from the Northern Savannah.
- Sande / Bundu Society Masks, created in the 19th and 20th centuries in Sierra Leone and Liberia, were crafted by men, but danced only by Women during Initiation Masquerades. These Masks represent the Importance of Women in Mende Society, as well as the emphasis on adhering to the Ideal of a Young Mende Woman.
- This type of Helmet Mask is worn exclusively by Women belonging to Female-led Sande (Mende) or Bondo / Bundu (Temne) Societies. 'Bundu' – or, more correctly, 'Bondo' – is the Temne name for the Women's Society known as Sande in Mende-speaking areas of Sierra Leone.
- The Sande / Bundu Society initiates girls into adulthood by Rituals said by its supporters to confer fertility, to instill notions of morality and proper sexual comportment, and to maintain an interest in the well-being of its Members throughout their lives.
- The Mask is divided into four parts: the ringed neck, the face, the hair, and the head ornamentation. "The neck rings are a sign of beauty, wealth, and status in the adult. They reflect waves on the surface of the water as the Goddess Sowo rises up (Boone 13). It signifies Divinity, and is almost an Icon by itself, like the halo in a Christian painting (Boone). It is also possible that the rings represent the chrysalis of the moth or butterfly, since the neighboring people, the Temne, associates the Sowei Spirit with the chrysalis of the butterfly. The imitation ensures their metamorphosis from girls to mature women." - Radiance from the Waters: Ideals of Feminine Beauty in Mende Art. Sylvia Ardyn Boone. Yale University Press, 1986
- Sowei Masks are worn by Senior Members of the All-Female Society during these Rite-of-Passage Ceremonies that Signify a Girl's Transition to Adulthood. The Mask presents an Ideal of Feminine Beauty admired by the Mende and related Ethnic Groups.
- SOWO is the Goddess / Spirit connecting Women to Water Spirits, and attests to the Creative Power of Both. The Power of the Mask is in the Spirit, Sowo (also known as Nowo or Sowei), a Water Goddess. The Mask Wearer gives up her own identity to evoke the Spirit, Sowo, by putting the Mask on her head to make the Spirit come to life. The Sowo spirit is present to escort the girls into initiation and provide guidance while they are in training. This spirit stays with them through the emergence into adulthood and marriage. The female masker appears at the time of female circumcision, which is the greatest single act of female initiation. It is said the Mask mesmerizes the young girls and relieves the pain of the operation. The Mask represents all that a woman should be: wise, elegant, and serene.
- Sowei (plural Soweis) are understood as the Guardian Spirits of a Sande / Bundu Society, who is represented by this type of special Helmet-like Mask. sacred mask of the
- The Mask is traditionally worn by a high-ranking member of the society, the dancing Sowei, known as the 'Ndoli Jowei' among the Mende or 'a-Nowo' among the Temne. The wearer (who has to be a powerful dancer and an Official of the Village Sande Society) puts on a thick cotton costume, usually trousers and shirt covered with heavy fibre strands dyed black. The Helmet Mask worn on top of the head of the Sowei Dancer, is accompanied by raffia, attached through holes drilled around the bottom, as well as the woven cloth. The Mask serves as the Visual Connection to the Spiritual World, and the Sande/ Bundu Society's Officials' faces and bodies are not visible, and thus conceal any Human Attributes.
- Her dances may last for over two hours.
- Sowei Helmet Masks typically have a polished black finish, with neck rings, elaborate coiffure and dignified facial expression. The mask is thought to represent conceptions of Idealized Womanhood.
- Because of the similarity of mask styles, and the itinerant pathways of noted carvers, it is difficult to assign some masks to a particular Ethnic Group for whom they were created.
- With increasingly rigorous Islamisation of these Villages, however, the Sande Society is being seriously modified or even disbanded.
- Measurements: 42cm; approx 16.6" height
- Provenance: M. Zambou, Senegal
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4.7 ★★★★★
Based on 28 reviews
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Product Reviews
★★★★★ 5
Dogs Favorite Ball
Size: Large (Pack of 1), Color: Multi
Great fetch ball! Super durable rubber that holds up way better than a regular tennis ball and has an awesome bounce. Easy for dogs to spot and perfect for endless games of fetch. Doesn’t get soggy or fall apart — definitely a must-have for active dogs!
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Reviewed in the United States on April 29, 2026
★★★★★ 5
Bounces good
Size: Large (Pack of 1), Color: Multi, Size: Large (Pack of 1), Color: Multi
My dog loves this ball ,,the ball is a thick rubber ,and is flexible that even my little dog can carry it in his mouth, it does bounce really good , I recommend this ball if your dog likes chasing after balls. If you have a fenced in yard I do not recommend bouncing it hard because it might go over the fence.
UPDATE I have had this ball a few days now and my dog likes to chew on his toys and tear them apart, one time he had a tennis ball and he managed to tear it apart but this ball he has yet to tear apart,
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Reviewed in the United States on May 5, 2026
★★★★★ 5
Chuck It Balls!! Best Loved Fetch ball by my Dog!!
Size: Large (Pack of 1), Color: Multi, Size: Large (Pack of 1), Color: Multi
Chuck It large Whistle balls,
Absolutely love these great rubber balls, I think there is at least 20-25 balls all over my house, yard and in my boys toy box.
At least one is trapped until fall on our ravine hill side, they do bounce high and off his snout for more travel time.!! (Over the fence and into ravine)
I subscribe and save getting usually 1 or 2 a month, Really… makes it easy to find one, when they are everywhere!!😜
They are usually blue in color, once in awhile I get an orange one (which I prefer, easier to find in the grass/bushes)
These do have a light whistle sound when throwing and my dog will change direction hearing where they are headed. These balls are very durable and last a very very long time. Actually I don’t think one has worn out.. lost yes….
Definitely get the large size, perfect for a med to large dog to play fetch forever!!
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Reviewed in the United States on August 15, 2025
★★★★★ 5
Love this ball!
Size: Large (Pack of 1), Color: Multi
My doberman and her dog friends love this large high bounce rubber fetch ball! She loves to chew it endlessly between throws and her Rottweiler buddy loves to do the same because it has a hole through it. I definitely recommend the large 3 inch ball for larger dogs.
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Reviewed in the United States on November 15, 2025
★★★★★ 4
The orange ones are perfect!
Size: Medium (Pack of 2), Color: Assorted
I wish I could give 4 1/2 stars but it isn't possible.
The reason why I don't give 5 stars is because no one sells these in a 2 pack of just orange balls. I was able to find blue only but not orange only. I have a pitbull and so does my good friend. We take our dogs out all the time and they absolutely love chasing these balls.... The orange ones to be exact. They will not play with or bring the blue balls back. They are a waste. I had to buy 2 packs to keep the oranges. I'm taking the blue ones to the local dog park and just dropping them off.
Now to the reason these balls deserve 5 stars: They are super easy to throw and they also make a slight whistling noise when you throw them because of the holes. They are real easy to wash due to the material. Also, they are pretty indestructible. The only reason I'm ordering more is due to them being lost. Our dogs have never torn them apart. I'm sure they could if we let them, but we use these for chase, not as chew toys. My friend also tied a rope through one of the balls to throw and retrieve with the rope. He uses this as a fun indoor toy.
These do not float in water but I buy other chuckit balls for that purpose. They have the orange balls with the blue stripe which work great in pools.
The balls are awesome and I keep coming back for more. Hopefully your dogs like the blue balls.
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Reviewed in the United States on December 8, 2015