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African & Tribal Art :
Senufo Sculptures : Senufo Wooden Sculpture of a Woman
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Senufo Wooden Sculpture of a Woman - PF.5912
Origin: Ivory Coast
Circa: 20
th
Century AD
Dimensions:
13.5" (34.3cm) high
x 3.25" (8.3cm) wide
Collection: African Art
Medium: Wood
Additional Information: Korea
£5,000.00
Location: Great Britain
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| Description |
This wooden sculpture might be the
representation of the Senufo goddess
Kalieleo. She is the female
counterpart of
Koulo Tiolo, the Creator who was
thought to
be asleep, and thus was never depicted
in
sculptural form. However, the
representations of Kalieleo are
widespread in
the Senufo art. She was the guardian
mother of the village, protector of
the Poro, a
secret society of males responsible
with
passing on the sacred knowledge of the
physical and spiritual world. She can
be
represented alone or giving the breast
to a
child. In this sculpture, she stands
alone
majestically composed and dignified.
Her
arms fall along her sides and rest
open upon
her belly. Her large breasts have
been
exaggerated, suggesting her bountiful
fertility. Her hair has been styled
into a large
central crest from which descend
braided
locks that fall over her ears and
along the
back of her neck. Her facial
features are
characteristic of Senufo art,
especially her
inverted T-shaped nose and her
protruding
jaw with exposed teeth. Whether or
not this
woman is the goddess Kalieleo can be
questioned; however, one cannot doubt
the
significance of this sculpture as a
symbol of
feminine beauty and fertility.
- (PF.5912)
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