Mémoire d’Afrique — Ref. 186
Bambara ritual statue — Bambara, Mali — African tribal art — Ref. 186
Description
Bambara ritual statue, Mali, in solid wood, representing a slender female figure carrying a child at belly level. The elongated proportions, arms open in an arc and carved hairstyle are characteristic of Bambara aesthetics. This piece embodies symbols of fertility and spiritual protection, often associated with initiatory rites or ancestor cults. The natural patina, cracks in the wood and visible wear testify to old ritual use. These statues, powerful in their simplicity, were used to invoke fertility or accompany ceremonies linked to motherhood or the transmission of knowledge. A work of great spiritual and artistic intensity.
Technical details
- Type of piece
- Statue
- Category
- Statues
- Ethnic group
- Bambara
- Country
- Mali
- Materials
- wood
- Dimensions
- H 94 × W 16 × D 21 cm
- Weight
- 5,4 kg
- Estimated dating
- second half 20th c.
- Restoration / losses
- One lock of hair missing
- Laboratory test
- Not tested
- Reference
- 186