The mythology of the Senufo people in Ivory Coast gives the leading role to the genesis. All human beings have a matrilineal link to the couple of primordial ancestors. The rites are held in every village by an initiatory society, the Poro.
This belief is embodied in statues that are used at both passages, puberty and death, as well as sanctuary ornaments. On November 11 in New York, Sotheby's sells a figure of the divine mother, 92 cm high, lot 48.
The Senufo artist who made this work did not wish to respect the proportions: the torso is very long and narrow and the legs are short, perhaps to be seen from below like a figure of El Greco. Instead, he expressed the mythic power by using geometry. For example, the ears are perfect circles, breasts are cones and eyebrows are a simple horizontal line.
The prominent navel resulting from the loss of the umbilical cord is the link that evokes fertility and creation. The line drawings adorning the bodies of the pubescent women are copied onto the statuette.
The ancient history of this piece is unknown, but comparisons may date its realization in the nineteenth century or early twentieth century. It would be a contemporary to the majestic Senufo primordial couple that was sold for $ 4 million including premium by Sotheby's on November 14, 2008.
This belief is embodied in statues that are used at both passages, puberty and death, as well as sanctuary ornaments. On November 11 in New York, Sotheby's sells a figure of the divine mother, 92 cm high, lot 48.
The Senufo artist who made this work did not wish to respect the proportions: the torso is very long and narrow and the legs are short, perhaps to be seen from below like a figure of El Greco. Instead, he expressed the mythic power by using geometry. For example, the ears are perfect circles, breasts are cones and eyebrows are a simple horizontal line.
The prominent navel resulting from the loss of the umbilical cord is the link that evokes fertility and creation. The line drawings adorning the bodies of the pubescent women are copied onto the statuette.
The ancient history of this piece is unknown, but comparisons may date its realization in the nineteenth century or early twentieth century. It would be a contemporary to the majestic Senufo primordial couple that was sold for $ 4 million including premium by Sotheby's on November 14, 2008.
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