Minsereh Figure

The Brighton Museum and Art Gallery catalogue describes this as a minsereh , or min , figure, though the term has broadly been used to refer to any carved female wooden figures. Min figures are traditionally used as part of the Yasi (Bullom) or Njayei (Mende) society for curing sickness. They contain spiritual power which is given to the figure by members of the society rather than the carver. This example has an elaborate hairstyle