Mende (Ghana) Gola or Helmet Mask Wood, metal, beads, earrings, etc.

This is a traditional helmet mask made by the Mende people of Sierra Leone. These masks are used solely by women and are a vital part of the socialization tradition of training young women for their roles as procreators, caregivers, mothers, and contr ibutors to Mende society. Produced for women to convey the ideals of feminine beauty to others, this mask possesses many of the characteristics associated with Mende beauty: the shiny black surface of the skin, high forehead, projecting forms, neck rings , and diamond shaped facial features. The base portion shows the Mende interest in promoting a stylization of plaited hair.