Paramount Chief's Crown

This is a Paramount Chief's crown made from tooled leather, similar to that which has elsewhere been labelled Mandingo leatherwork . Mandingo , used in this context, refers to a type of workmanship associated with Muslim elites. The crown is surrounded with rectangular slabs containing Arabic scripts, also referred to as sebe/sebbeh, or amulets. The Sierra Leone National Museum catalogue notes that is was made by a shoemaker in Kabala known as Karanke .

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Further Information

• Type: Regalia
• Object: Paramount Chief's Crown
• Materials: Leather, animal skin, Textile
• Culture Group: Mandingo
• Dimensions: 203mm [H]
• Production Date: Pre 1960
• Associated Places: Koinadugu District, Kabala (Place collected)
• Associated People: Abu Bakarr Sesay, Freetown (Collector)
• Museum: Sierra Leone National Museum
• Accession Number: SLNM.1960.16.03

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