Goboi Masquerade Costume

This is a complete Goboi masquerade costume. The headdress is made from a wicker frame, covered in textile and animal skin, and adorned with mirrors and cowrie shells. The rest of the outfit is composed of cotton underclothing, covered by a raffia. The back of the costume is covered in wooden protective pendants, bearing Arabic inscriptions. The Goboi belongs to the Mende male Poro Society. It traditionally comes out when a chief is dead but is today often commissioned to perform at public events. This is one a series of masquerade costumes commissioned by the British Museum's Africa Programme and gifted to the National Museum of Sierra Leone in April 2011 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Sierra Leone's independence. It was made by Joseph Michael Lahai of the Gbortima Cultural Group.