Like a number of cultures on the coast of West Africa, the Sherbro of Sierra Leone organized their political and religious life around the Poro, a powerful men’s society that held sway in a wide range of social and political spheres. In past eras it was described by Europeans in similar terms to Freemasonry, credited with country-wide organization and political power to impose respect for its laws and decisions, even against the will of the chiefs, the traditional rulers. Poro practices have been modified in recent times to reflect the needs of contemporary life, but they remain a potent force in many country areas, where prohibitions are strictly observed.
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One of the main responsibilities of the Poro was the initiation of young boys. This initiation took place in seclusion at a forest camp, where they received instruction and moral education in adult values of co-operation, solidarity, and respect for the elders. The masks that appear in the first phases of these instruction rites are animal spirits, chaotic and unruly, representing childhood. Following and contrasting with this group are a male/female human pair that portray ideals of refined adulthood, communicating their roles in society and their interdependence in marriage.
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The entrancing helmet mask presented here represents the female half of that pair. Colored with a rich, reddish clay pigment, it has the whitened eyes and neck rings of a young, healthy woman of child-bearing age. Red signifies vitality and strength; white is the blessing of the ancestors. Beneath a dramatically domed forehead, the wide, white eye hollows invest the face with an impression of lantern-like luminescence, evoking a fascinating spiritual power.