Bambara Figure Lot n° 71

Mali Wood, 107 cm Provenance: Private collection, Spain Kate Ezra in Colleyn 2001: "The Jo and Gwan figures are larger and more massive than other Bamana figures. Often standing three to four feet tall, they have thick cylindrical torsos, broad shoulders, and smoothly curved ovoid heads. Their arms and legs connect to shoulders and hips in a fluid manner, unlike the abrupt angular transitions seen in many other types of Bamana sculpture, including the Nyeleni sculptures used by new Jo initiates in their performances [...]. The Jo and Gwan sculptures represent both females and males, whereas other types of Bamana sculptures are almost exclusively female. They depict people in a variety of postures and gestures and wearing or carrying a diverse array of objects. [...] Some of the figures, both female and male, wear or carry objects associated with occult powers, such as amulet-studded hats, animal horns filled with spiritually charged substances, and protective charms in the form of belts, packets hanging around the neck or under the arm, and pouches slung across the chest." Bamana. The Art Of Existence In Mali, Colleyn, Jean-Paul, New York / Zurich / Gent, 2001, p.131