Goboi Headdress

This is the headdress worn by a Goboi masquerader. The Goboi is the Mende name for a masquerader associated with the exclusively male Poro society. Today, it is often associated with entertainment. It is made from a wicker frame, covered in leather, fur and textile, and decorated with cowrie shells, mirrors and woollen pompoms . It was collected in Sandoma Village near Tasso Island in the Sierra Leone River. The Sierra Leone National Museum accession register records that the Sandoma Village Goboi Society consists of 20 males and 1 female Mama Queen , the Treasurer of the Society . The headdress is attached to a raffia cloak.

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Further Information

• Type: Masks, headdresses
• Object: Goboi Headdress
• Materials: Vegetable, organic fibre, Leather, animal skin, Shell, Feather, fur, hair, horn, Textile, Glass
• Culture Group: Temne
• Dimensions: Unknown
• Production Date: c.1959
• Associated Places: Sandoma Village, near Tasso Island
• Associated People: Thomas Kamara (Trader)
• Museum: Sierra Leone National Museum
• Accession Number: SLNM>1964.49.01

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