Mende society is governed by a number of esoteric associations, foremost among which are the Sande women’s society and Poro men’s society. Both prepare young initiates for adulthood and make extensive use of masquerade. The helmet mask presented here, known as sowei, represents a Sande guardian spirit. It is utilized by a dance expert (ndoli jowei, a term sometimes used to refer to the mask itself) and appears at a host of Sande rites, as well as birth and funeral ceremonies. From generation to generation, these masks served to induct the new women of the tribe into the next chapter of their lives, revealing and passing on the knowledge of their ancestors.

This stately sowei shows a classic composition with a small, compact face atop bunched neck rings, all overarched by a strikingly detailed and crown-like coiffure. Relative to some other examples, here the carving of the coiffure is invested less in elaborate structure than it is in pure surface design, employing repeating bands of linear incisions that create broad, patterned panels in the round. A pair of large, thick braids falls closely about both sides of the head, reaching down the neck in gradual curves. The line work used in the face is notable, with incised ‘wrinkles’ throughout the eyeline creating a slightly more expressive impression than is sometimes seen in sowei. A mask by this unknown Mende carver, known as the Master of the Rainbow Eyes, is in the Yale University Art Gallery collection. Frederick Lamp identified this carver as "The Master of the Rainbow Eyes” because of the exquisite contour lining on closed eyelids and eyebrows that characterize his style.