A male Senufo sculpture, standing on a wooden base, legs straight, genitals hanging, protruding stomach, thin bust, arm downwards, hands resting near the stomach, their shape is simple, small chest, a thick cylindric neck carrying a thin shaped head, delicate features, small mouth at the end of the jaw line, long thin nose, coffee bean ayes, a Mohawk hairdo; the sculpture has aged cracks, signs of use.

"The Senufo peoples form a complex network comprising more than thirty subgroups with many local variations of language and custom. They occupy a large area of West Africa that spans the national boundaries of Côte d'Ivoire, Mali, and Burkina Faso. Senufo society is patriarchal; inheritance, however, is traced through the matrilineal line. Consequently, the primacy placed on women and their essential maternal role is often reflected in Senufo artistic traditions like this sculpture. The tyekpa association is part of a larger social organization among the Senufo known as Sandogo. Membership in Sandogo is limited to female members of the Senufo community. Senufo life revolves around the Sandogo society and its counterpart, the all-male Poro society. These institutions cut across kinship lines and household ties, creating a social cohesiveness that extends throughout the community.."

Lit.:The MET

sold

Height: 71 cm
Weight: 2,7 kg