A Bamana female figure, Mali, standing on circular platform, sturdy short legs slightly bent, a columnar, elongated torso ornamented with scarifications that run vertically across the whole surface and waist beads, conical breasts, rounded shoulders, long thin arms carved close to the torso, hands near the abdomen, a metal plateon the chest, an elongated cylindric neck with lines of beads decorating it, supporting a helmet-like head composed of a thin straight mouth, long straight nose, two small button like eyes close to the slender nose and beneath the forehead, a striated hairdo falling like pigtails on either side, large, semicircular ears, pierced through by attachment holes, more scarifications on arms and another metal plate on the back; reddish patina, age-cracks, insect damage, certificate of origin and provenance. “Small-scale female figures of this kind are known as nyeleni among the Bamana people of Mali. The figures are an idealization of youthful feminine beauty. The term nyeleni is derived from a traditional Bamana girl's name and has multiple interpretations, including "pretty little one" or "little ornament." Nyeleni figures emphasize a number of distinctive characteristics—most notably, a rather geometrically derived form. They have prominent conical breasts that project sharply from a flattened chest and are counterbalanced by exaggerated buttocks that jut out behind the figure. The arms, legs, and torsos are highly cylindrical. Hairstyles vary but usually exhibit some variation on a crestlike arrangement. The aesthetic beauty of such works is heightened by the addition of beads or metal accessories and oil, which is rubbed into the figure to produce a lustrous surface. These additions are comparable to the manner in which young Bamana women prepare themselves for special occasions. " Source: The MET Museum