H x W x D: 96.5 x 18.8 x 23.1 cm (38 x 7 3/8 x 9 1/8 in.)
Type:
Figure
Geography:
Côte d'Ivoire
Date:
Early to mid-20th century
Label Text:
Large-size Senufo figures are relatively rare. Male and female pairs are often described in the literature as "rhythm pounders" (deble, debele or dogele), although some stood in shrines to the First Ancestor and others were used as display pieces by the male Poro society and by the female Tyekpa society. If this figure was of the type that was mobile rather than stationary, it would have been carried, swung and pounded at Poro society members' funerals. Its relatively small head and elongated arms, torso and legs would have allowed it to be lifted by Poro members, and its heavy base pounded into the earth in a slow, steady rhythm, invoking the earth goddess to purify the earth and promote fertility in the fields. At funerals, the figures would be laid to either side of the corpse, and while proceeding to the burial location, elders would pound them on the ground in front of them, perhaps to clear the pathway for the deceased.
However, this figure bears considerable damage underneath the base--evidence that the figure stood on the bare soil for some time and was stationary rather than mobile. There are also no visible signs of handling at the arms. It more likely falls into the broad category of a poro piibele figure, erected by Poro members at the site of funerary dances.
Unfortunately, poro piibele figures are no longer being commissioned by elders due to rising costs--a side effect of the art market.
As the female statue in a pair, this figure emphasizes fertility, most obvious in her rounded stomach and pointed breasts. The hairstyle also is symbolic, taking the form of a hornbill bird's beak. The hornbill is a favored choice of imagery among the Senufo because of the bird's natural habit of forming pairs and showing devotion while hatching eggs and raising young birds. The elaborate scarification and armrings may indicate that the figure was carved by a specialist, and possibly at a later date than other Senufo poro piibele figures.
Description:
Standing female wood figure on socle with a prognathic jaw, jutting hemispherical shaped eyes, and cross-hatched scarification marks on cheeks, temples, and on either side of the bridge of the nose and the mouth. The figure has an elongated torso and jutting breasts and stomach. There is some cross-hatched scarification on the shoulders and breasts and a radiating scarification pattern on the stomach. The legs are flexed, with parallel-like incisions extending from the thighs around the back. The figure wears a champion cultivator hat and holds what may be a gourd in the proper right hand. Both arms indicate cone shaped armlets on either elbow. The figure is a dark brown color.
Provenance:
Julius Carlebach, New York, -- to ca. 1979
Mrs. Josefa Carlebach, New York, -- to ca. 1979
Bernard and Alice Leyden, New York, ca. 1979 to 1987
Published References:
Hornbeck, S.E. and D. Moffett. 2016. Taking the Long View: Applications of Ethnographic
Conservation Practices to the Conservation of Contemporary Art. Preprints to the 2016 IIC Congress: Crossing Boundaries to Conserve Contemporary Works. Los Angeles, CA. p. S2-86.
Content Statement:
As part of our commitment to accessibility and transparency, the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art is placing its collection records online. Please note that some records are incomplete (missing image or content descriptions) and others reflect out-of-date language or systems of thought regarding how to engage with and discuss cultural heritage and the specifics of individual artworks. If you see content requiring immediate action, we will do our best to address it in a timely manner. Please email nmafacuratorial@si.edu if you have any questions.
Image Requests:
High resolution digital images are not available for some objects. For publication quality photography and permissions, please contact the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives at https://africa.si.edu/research/eliot-elisofon-photographic-archives/
