Senufo - Elfenbenskysten (Ingen mindstepris)

A Senufo maternity, Ivory Coast, carved out of one piece of wood, she is standing on a cylindrical base, her knees slightly bent, a thin abdomen with protruding navel, her long slender arms and hands are carrying a small infant who is feeding on her left breast, a cylindric neck carries the oval shaped head, the features are finely carved, an opened mouth showing teeth at the end of a thin elongated jaw line, pointed nose, half-closed eyes, the hair is pulled upwards in the style of Senufo ; some large cracks, signs of ritual use, glossy by use.

“The sculpture is used to honor women and their maternal role in ceremonies and festivals of the tyekpa society, a social association among the Senufo peoples.

The tyekpa association functions in Senufo culture primarily as a funerary society. Sculptures are but one element of complex funerary celebrations that also include music, song, and dance. These elements come together to pay homage to and honor the memory of an elder tyekpa "mother." During the ceremonies, tyekpa members dance with various figurative sculptures such as this mother-child pairing raised high above their head. Due to its prominent visual display in the funerary proceedings, tyekpa figurative sculptures are rather large, some measuring three to four feet in height; this piece is nearly two feet tall.

The Senufo peoples form a complex network comprising more than thirty subgroups with many local variations of language and custom. They occupy a large area of West Africa that spans the national boundaries of Côte d'Ivoire, Mali, and Burkina Faso. Senufo society is patriarchal; inheritance, however, is traced through the matrilineal line. Consequently, the primacy placed on women and their essential maternal role is often reflected in Senufo artistic traditions like this sculpture. The tyekpa association is part of a larger social organization among the Senufo known as Sandogo. Membership in Sandogo is limited to female members of the Senufo community. Senufo life revolves around the Sandogo society and its counterpart, the all-male Poro society. These institutions cut across kinship lines and household ties, creating a social cohesiveness that extends throughout the community."

Source: The MET.