Banda Mask

Banda masks are more commonly associated with the Baga, Lauma and Nalu groups in Guinea, but have also been known to be used by Soso [Susu] people. This example was apparently collected in a pair [with BM:Af.1938.216.2] on Tasso Island, in the Sierra Leone River, and was probably part of a masking performance put together for visitors when it was collected in the 1930s. In Guinea, Banda, or Landa, masks are part of the circumcision ceremony for young boys and commonly depict a mixture of crocodile and human features. The masks are generally worn flat on the head, or sloping forward at an angle, over the face.

Further Information

• Type: Masks, headdresses
• Object: Banda Mask
• Materials: Metal, Wood
• Culture Group: Bullom, Other, Soso, Temne
• Dimensions: Unknown
• Production Date: Pre 1938
• Associated Places: Tasso Island; Bum Kittam
• Associated People: J. E. Wills
• Museum: British Museum
• Accession Number: BM:Af.1938.216.1

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