Tattered Male Senufo Statue 15″ – Ivory Coast – African Art

$130.00

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SKU: 1004413 Categories: ,
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A hand-carved wooden male statue in the style of the Senufo people of Ivory Coast. The statue is tattered with cracking, wood deterioration and scuffing throughout but is sturdy. Please inspect photos carefully.

Type of Object

Figure, statue

Country of Origin

Ivory Coast (Côte d’Ivoire)

Ethnicity

Senufo

Material

Wood, Pigment

Approximate Age

Unknown

Height

15"

Width

4"

Depth

4"

Weight

1.5 lbs

Overall Condition

Cracking, wood deterioration, scuffing and wear and tear throughout.

Tribe Information

About the Senufo People

“Scattered across the Ivory Coast, Mali and Burkina Faso, the million and a half Senufo tribespeople live principally off the fruits of agriculture and occasionally hunting. They inhabit villages governed by a council of elders, who in turn are led be a chief elected from their number. Tribal cohesion is reinforced through the rituals of the Poro society who initiate and educate the men from the age of seven onwards. Senufo theology is based on Koulotiolo, a powerful god, and Katieleo, a goddess mother, who through the rituals of the Poro society, regenerates the world.
The Senufo were among the first tribal artists to be admired by the Western world. Their artistic output has been prolific – statues and masks characterized by realistic features or highly geometric shapes which emphasize rhythm and the opposition between void and full spaces.”

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Additional Information

About Senufo Figures

“Senufo figures vary a great deal but nevertheless can be identified by their heart-shaped faces, arrow-shaped noses and crescent coiffures. Their height varies from 15 to 120 cm. Smaller statues representing divination figures or nature spirits have also been made. They are given offerings, which are sometimes made through a cup at the top of their head, thus giving the entire figure a rich black oily patina. When carved in pairs, they symbolize the primordial couple – an ideal Senufo nuclear family who respects its ancestors. Large bird figures can also be seen during Poro ceremonies. They stand on the ground or are carried on the heads of new male initiates. During ceremonies related to the upper grade of the Poro society, dancers incorporate stylized horse figures.”