RouteMonrovia

National Museum of Liberia: Poro Masks & Indigenous Heritage

The National Museum preserves the extraordinary artistic heritage of Liberia's 16 indigenous ethnic groups — Poro society masks, Sande helmet masks, and the material culture of forest peoples

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1
Poro Society Masks
The Poro - the pan-tribal male initiation society found in Liberia - use powerful wooden masks in ceremonies marking the transition from boyhood to manhood; the museum has rare examples
2
Sande Society Helmet Masks
The Sande Society of Female Initiation of the Mende and Vai peoples uses wooden helmet masks carved with idealized female features — among the most elegant objects in African art
3
Dan Mask Collection
The Dan people of western Liberia produce some of West Africa's most humanistic masks — used in entertainment, dispute resolution and spiritual ceremony with a wide range of expressive types
4
Kpelle Forest Culture
The Kpelle - Liberia's largest ethnic group - have contributed extensive material to the museum: models of thatched houses, musical instruments and agricultural implements in the deep forest
5
Civil War Memorial Section
A sobering documentation of the 1989-2003 civil wars — photographs, personal items and testimonies that show the trauma and resilience of the Liberian people
6
Liberian Quilting and Textile Arts
A unique Liberian tradition of patchwork - brought by the Americo-Liberian settlers from the American South - is displayed alongside indigenous weaving and dyeing traditions