Three members of the male Poro society walking ahead of ‘Madam Yoko and the Sande Dancers’

Madam Yoko (c.1849-1906) was a famous Mende paramount chief who was a powerful figure within the female Sande society. This lantern was built for Kissy Central Lantern Club and comprises puppets depicting Madam Yoko, various musicians, Sande sampa dancers and a black Sande debul known as sowei.

In Sierra Leone there are various cult associations (‘societies’) which have spirits associated with them. The masqueraders who embody and perform these spirits in the masquerades of these associations are called debuls (devils). There is no implication that the spirits are evil. Debuls were depicted in puppet form in lanterns purely for entertainment purposes and not as part of any society masquerade. The fact that representatives of the male Poro society (the counterpart of the female Sande society) were prepared to accompany the lantern seems to indicate the respect in which Madam Yoko and the Sande society were held.