An Old Beautiful Mende Female Figure – Sierra Leone

Hard wood. Cm. 60,5 high (23.82″). Grams 1354 (47.76″ oz).

Mende female figures represent ideal beauty in the form of young women who have just been initiated into adulthood.

Female figures had a number of different functions in Mende culture; some were employed in divination rites to help cure both physical and mental disorders, while others were associated with initiation societies.

In general, such sculptures stood beside and protected the medicines in a society house, where they remained unseen by the public except when they were brought out on special occasions.

Mende society is matrilineal, meaning that lineage and inheritance pass through the maternal line. Mende women can hold leadership roles such as:

– Mammy Queens: respected figures who lead women’s groups and have influence in community decision-making:

– Local chiefs and advisors: in some communities, women actively participate in conflict resolution and mediation, thanks to their reputation as peacemakers and mentors.

A recent study highlighted how Mende women play a central role in traditional peacebuilding processes, being able to intercede in conflicts, promote reconciliation, and restore social cohesion (see “Exploring the centrality of women in indigenous peacemaking among the Mende of Sierra Leone”).

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