A long, narrow woman stands on a domed round base, carved from the same single piece of wood as the figure, with her forearms drawn in and her hands cupped at the waist, her small pointed breasts and a raised navel carved in clean relief. This antique Senufo female figure wears bracelets above both elbows, projecting ears and a crest of hair with a raised central ridge flanked by swept side plaits, and fine scarification lines mark her calm, closed-eyed face. The wood has deepened to a glossy near-black, with fine vertical tool marks and rubbed copper-brown highlights on the shoulders, arms and legs.
Female figures like this belong to the Senufo of northern Côte d'Ivoire, where they are tied to the idea of the ancestral mother and to the Poro and Sandogo societies that guide initiation. At 30.5 inches tall and 8 inches across, it holds a console, a pedestal or a deep shelf as a single, quiet figure, and it also pairs well with a second carving of a different height.
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Era: Antique
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Origin: Côte d'Ivoire (Senufo)
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Material: Carved wood
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Size: 8"(W) x 8"(D) x 30.5"(H)
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Color: Near-black brown with copper-brown highlights
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Condition: Wear consistent with age and use, part of its character and historical value. Worn, glossy patina and light surface wear.
This antique Senufo female figure from Côte d'Ivoire is carved from a single piece of wood, base included, with hands at the waist, arm bracelets and a crested coiffure. It measures 8 inches wide, 8 inches deep and 30.5 inches tall, with a glossy near-black patina. It works as a single sculptural figure on a console, pedestal or shelf.
Q: What is the Poro society in Senufo art?
A: Poro is a men's initiation society among the Senufo that teaches young men religious knowledge and about the spirits of the bush. Many Senufo figures and masks were made for Poro and the related women's society, Sandogo.
Q: Can you group two African figures together in one room?
A: Yes. Place them on one console or pedestal at different heights and repeat a tone or material, such as dark carved wood, so they read as a pair. Keep the wall behind them plain and leave space around each figure.
**Please bear in mind that colors of products shown may vary slightly from their original color due to monitor display settings or photography studio
