Boli statue, Bamana of Mali - It hurts. - Bamana - Mali (No reserve price)

Boli Bamana of Mali. A rough and cracked surface obscures the exact identification of the organic and inorganic materials assembled to create the boli (plural: boliw), or power object, presented here. Such objects play an essential role in the spiritual life of the Bamana. The Boliw have attracted a lot of attention from Western observers due to their amorphous shapes and unusual materials. The bulbous, amorphous form is rather idiosyncratic within the Bamana art repertoire. The Boliw are composed of a wooden "core" frame wrapped in white cotton cloth, around which clay and sacrificial materials are inlaid. This boli has four short "feet" on which it rests, as well as a single bump rising from the top. The creature represented by a boli is not identifiable, but many adopt the loosely zoomorphic form suggested by this work, while others may be anthropomorphic. Good condition see photos "one of the rear legs is shorter", thank you. Shipped with insurance.

Estimate:£2.53

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