Bambara guardian of balances — Bambara, Mali — African tribal art — Ref. 281

Description

This Bambara statue represents a seated female figure, with an elongated neck and finely carved hairstyle, characteristic of ritual figures in Bambara culture. Her meditative attitude and hieratic posture evoke a figure of wisdom or transmission.
The most intriguing element lies in the objects she holds: a sphere in the left hand and a conical element recalling a spinning top in the right hand. This arrangement may embody the fundamental principle of duality in Bambara cosmogony: the static and the dynamic, fullness and momentum, stability and transformation. The sphere, often associated with perfection, knowledge or fertility, may symbolise the tangible world or the primordial matrix, while the conical object may refer to creative force, movement or a ritual instrument.
This representation falls outside the usual framework of Bambara maternity figures and may be linked to initiatory use, especially in Gwan rites, intended for the spiritual and social formation of young people. The emphasis placed on gesture and held objects suggests a function connected with the transmission of knowledge, an essential role of female figures in Bambara initiatory societies.

Technical details

Type of piece

Statue

Category

Statues

Ethnic group

Bambara

Country

Mali

Materials

wood

Dimensions

H 80 × W 13 × D 14 cm

Weight

3,35 kg

Estimated dating

second half 20th c.

Laboratory test

Not tested

Reference

281