Among the most famous statues of African art
are a series known as the Pombibele, “those who
give birth.” This large sculpture, appropriately
enough in the form of a woman, would have
been used during the funeral ceremonies of Poro
members, a male "secret" society, headed by the
village elders, where the sacred knowledge of
manhood is transferred to young initiates. In the
southern Senufo area, these statues are carried
and then pounded on the ground, providing
rhythm for the dancers.
This sculpture is the representation of an
idealized woman. Her elongated, sinuous forms
are based upon the ideals of femininity. Her face
appears like a typical Senufo mask with its semi-
circular eyes, arched brows, pointed chin, and
protruding mouth with exposed teeth. Ritualistic
scarifications are evident on her temples, cheeks,
and chin, as well as her breasts, arms, legs, and
most prominently on her navel. The ritually
inflicted scars were considered marks of beauty
and surely enhance this woman’s stature, as do
the bracelets wrapped around her wrists and her
elaborately groomed coiffure sculpted in the
form of a stylized crest. The woman’s physical
stature reveals her inherent fertility, most
noticeable in her large conical breasts and
protruding navel. The forms and composition of
the figure are just the beginning of its beauty.
For in this work, form and function are
intertwined and inseparable. Funeral
ceremonies, while generally somber occasions,
can also become celebrations of life, as is
implied by this sculpture. We can hear the beat
of its pounding, we can picture the dancers, we
can sense something greater than our eyes
behold.
- (PF.6029)
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