Head fragment, possibly Sherbro; Sierra Leone
Steatite; H. 7"
In present day Sierra Leone and Liberia,
the discovery of stone heads and figures, usually
executed in steatite, is considered auspicious.
These stone images are believed to have been made
several centuries ago by the Sapi, Kissi, and Sherbro/Bullom,
many of whom are ancestors of present-day peoples
in the area. The fact that many features of these
images relate stylistically to ivory objects commissioned
for the trade to Europe almost four hundred years
ago helps to place the objects in time and space.
The present-day Kissi, Sherbro, and their neighbors
sometimes enshrine these images as protective objects.
The rich and complex iconography of these heads
and figures suggests a well- developed tradition.
This example, large and impressive, displays many
of the classical Kissi stylistic attributes and
may well have been an example of portraiture, considering
the almost unending varieties of facial subtleties.
