20th Century African Mende Sowei Carved Wood Ceremonial Staff Finial Sculpture

This is a striking 20th-century West African carved wooden ceremonial staff finial or sculptural staff, displaying characteristics associated with the artistic traditions of the Mende and neighbouring Sherbro peoples of Sierra Leone. The impressive hand-carved piece takes the form of a highly stylised human head surmounted by an extraordinary sweeping headdress, its long curved side elements framing the face and terminating alongside the cheeks. The carving displays numerous details associated with traditional West African figurative sculpture, including downcast almond-shaped eyes, pronounced lips, geometric facial markings, finely worked forehead decoration and an extensively patterned cylindrical neck and lower body. Particularly appealing is the wonderfully sculptural headdress, decorated throughout with small punched motifs and incorporating an unusual eye-shaped device to both front and rear. The lower section is extensively carved with alternating chevron, lattice and geometric patterns. The pronounced double neck rings and stylised facial treatment show particularly strong affinities with the Sowei/Bundu artistic tradition of Sierra Leone. Comparable museum collections record Mende ceremonial staffs terminating in female heads modelled after Sowei masks, with distinctive segmented or ringed necks. National Museum of African Art The piece has developed a very attractive warm brown surface with darker colouring within the recesses of the carving, giving excellent definition to the hand-worked decoration. Attributes: Origin: West Africa / Sierra Leone Culture: Mende or Sherbro tradition/attribution Type: Ceremonial Staff Finial / Figurative Sculpture Material: Hand-Carved Wood Period: Mid 20th Century ^^ Fast & Free UK Delivery Included^^ *A Certificate of Authenticity (COA) will be provided by artsonline with this piece* Delivery Artsonline UK ships worldwide daily, using only fully insured, priority, and fully tracked delivery services. Great care and much time are taken over the safe transportation of the Fine Art and Antique pieces that we sell. We pack extremely carefully, so you can rest assured that your piece will arrive with you in perfect condition. For larger paintings, antique furniture pieces, and fragile items that can not be sent via the normal postal services, we use professional door-to-door delivery providers, who will always strive to deliver your piece promptly, within approx. 7-14 working days. Returns Policy Artsonline provides a genuine no-quibble 14-day money-back refund policy (excluding the cost of Postage and Packaging). Pay securely - Telephone orders welcome Image result for payments accepted logos Secure-Payment-Vpadeb-sa-la-go-th-et-an-gt-006486-BACS-Order-PayPal-M/Card