Lot 132
** A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this artwork will be donated to the Anthony Quinn Foundation, whose mission is to advocate for the important role arts education plays in personal development and in the overall improvement of social, economic and cultural systems. Learn more at aqfoundation.org **
West Africa, Burkina Faso or Ivory Coast, Senufo, ca. early to mid-20th century CE. An impressive, hand-carved wooden female figure that most likely belonged to a male-female pair symbolizing the primordial couple from the Senufo peoples. Capped with a characteristic crescent-shaped coiffure, the towering female boasts a slender body with projecting breasts, a prominent navel, and lengthy arms that fall to her hips. Her stylized visage exhibits slender eyes, arched brows, a narrow nose, and a petite mouth held open to display a row of teeth, all flanked by a huge pair of high-set ears. Nude, save for armbands, bracelets, and a necklace, her body and face are incised with striated and lattice motifs representing ceremonial scarification. Size: 5.5" W x 47.5" H (14 cm x 120.6 cm)
In her discussion of the cultural context of Senufo statuary at the occasion of the exhibition Genesis: Ideas of Origin in African Sculpture at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, LaGamma (2002: 30 et seq.) explains: "According to the Senufo account of genesis, Kolotyolo, the creator, gave life to the first man and woman, who became the first human couple. The woman conceived and gave birth to twins, a girl and a boy. [...] The ideal of human male-female duality [...] also informs Senufo conceptions of the divine, especially the bipartite deity that is central to Senufo religious belief. Kolotyolo, the male aspect of divinity responsible for creation and 'bringing us forth,' is a benevolent but relatively remote presence who is balanced by a more accessible female dimension known as Katyeleeo, or Ancient Mother. She is a divine protectress responsive to the needs of the community. Within Senufo society, an optimal relationship with this divinity and the ancestors is assured through Poro, an initiation-based organization whose teachings also prepare members for responsible and enlightened leadership. Participation in Poro is universal among Senufo males, who safeguard their community's social and political welfare by making frequent sacrifices to the ancestors - conceived as past children of Ancient Mother - so that they may intercede on behalf of her current, living children."
Published in "Anthony Quinn's Eye: A Lifetime of Creating and Collecting Art" by Donald Kuspit, Jay Parini, and Tom Roberts (Bristol, Rhode Island: Bristol House Press, 2004), page 159.
Provenance: ex-private collection of actor Anthony Quinn and his wife Katherine, Bristol, Rhode Island, USA acquired prior to 2000
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#169207
- Condition: Some minor losses to surface on proper right side of torso, as well as on right shin. Some stable fissures throughout. Nicks, chips, and abrasions, commensurate with age. Otherwise, excellent with nice patina.
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