Ancestral Figure

• Title Ancestral Figure
• Category Sculpture
• Medium Wood
• Dimensions 45"h x 8"w x 5.5"d
• Notes The Senufo involve a wide variety of ethnic groups with over thirty languages and dialect groups. The figure is set on a cylindrical base as the form lacks feet. Ancestral figures such as this are commonly made in pairs to represent a specific couple. The female figures are typically larger, as the mother is revered, sometimes as a repository for the ancestral spirits.* These figures were carved for the Senufo's Lo Society, a culture complex along the Western Guinea coast, and used in memorial ceremonies for the dead.* The figures are pounded into the ground in rhythm, which signifies that the people are purifying the earth and calling the ancestors to participate in the rite. Often these figures can be outside front doors, as they protect the family and the spirits of the dead. The figural representation that commemorates the ancestor is not a portrait, rather a representation of one's status or significance in life. *Elizabeth Broudy, “Icon and Symbol: The Cult of the Ancestor in African Art.” (African Arts, vol.9, no. 2, 1976), 64-65. *Joyce Wolf Shepard, “Art and Life: Art and Death. A Review Article.” (Comparative Studies in Society and History, vol,27, no, 3, 1985), 472-78.
• Artist Senufo Ivoirian
• Credit Clyde and Annie Matters Collection
• Location Library Art Storage Oversized 1-10
• Accession Number 1994.0023
• Status Checked Out
• Administration Admin View
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