MENDÉ STATUE SIERRA LEONE Made of wood, glass beads and fabric H.: 71 cm (28 in.) An important Mende figure, Sierra Leone Provenance: Collected in 1912 and donated to the Abbaye Notre-Dame de Langonnet, Morbihan Künzi Gallery, Solothurn, until 1986 Jean-Jacques Rotthier Collection (1932–2009), Brussels, then passed down through the family Public auctions: Loudmer, Paris, Primitive Arts, 27 June 1986, lot no. 325 Cornette de Saint Cyr, Paris, Sculpture from Oceania, the Americas and Africa, 30 June 1994, lot no. 71 Bibliography: Gottschalk (Burkhard), *Kunst aus Schwarz-Afrika*, Volume 1: *vom Gimbala zum Kongostrom*, Düsseldorf, Verlag U. Gottschalk, 2005, p. 146 (right) Mendé female figures embody an ideal of beauty based on the image of young women who have recently undergone their coming-of-age initiation. Certain physical attributes, such as the beaded belt, the elaborate hairstyle or the visible scarification marks, signify this special status and mark the transition to a new stage of life. Within Mendé society, these sculptures served a variety of purposes. Some were used in divination practices and were reputed to aid in the diagnosis and treatment of physical and psychological ailments. Others were associated with initiatory societies, within which they played an important role in ritual life. These figures were often kept near ritual objects, which they were believed to protect. Generally hidden from public view, they were only unveiled during specific ceremonies. A MENDE FIGURE SIERRA LEONE Wood, glass beads, and cloth H.: 28 in. Provenance: Collected in 1912 and donated in 1913 to the Abbey of Notre-Dame de Langonnet, Morbihan Galerie Künzi, Solothurn, until 1986 Jean-Jacques Rotthier Collection (1932–2009), Brussels, then by descent Public auctions: Loudmer, Paris, Primitive Arts, 27 June 1986, lot 325 Cornette de Saint Cyr, France, Sculpture from Oceania, the Americas and Africa, 30 June 1994, lot 71 Bibliography: Gottschalk (Burkhard), *Kunst aus Schwarz-Afrika*, Volume 1: *vom Gimbala zum Kongostrom*, Düsseldorf: Verlag U. Gottschalk, 2005, p. 146 (right) Mende female figures embody an idealised conception of beauty, typically represented through images of young women who have recently undergone initiation into adulthood. Specific physical attributes—such as the delicately beaded waist garment, elaborate coiffure, and visible scarification patterns—serve as markers of this transitional status. Within Mende society, such figures fulfilled a variety of functions. Some were used in divinatory practices and were believed to assist in the diagnosis and treatment of both physical and psychological ailments. Others were associated with initiation societies and played an important role in ritual life. These sculptures were often placed beside ritual medicines kept within community structures, serving as their guardians and protectors. Generally concealed from public view, they were displayed only on designated ceremonial occasions.