Sénoufo maternity figure - Lot 93

Sénoufo maternity figure Ivory Coast Wood L. 79 cm Provenance : - Morton Dimondstein, Los Angeles - By descent - Private collection, Paris Publication: - The figure of maternity appears on a card produced by Morton Dimondstein for an exhibition around 1970. This remarkable maternity figure stands out for its hieratic posture. The elongated bust, with broad shoulders and nourishing breasts, is highlighted by scarification marks and sculpted ornamentation. The striking expression of this effigy - wide-open eyes, prominent mouth and pronounced teeth - contrasts with the pared-down treatment of the child she is breast-feeding. This maternity figure can be compared with the work of a master sculptor, of whom we know a few pieces, including four other statues. Two of these are also maternities: one belonged to the artist Arman, the second passed through the hands of Henri Kamer. The other two effigies, male and female, were published together in Gottschalk's reference work Sénoufo. Massa et les statues du poro (p. 204 and 205). Within this corpus, characterized by a strong stylistic imprint, the work studied here stands out for the base on which it rests: here, exceptionally, it takes the form of a stylized elephant. In Senufo mythology, the creation and ordering of the universe is based on the action of a pair of primordial entities - the god Koulotyolo and the goddess Katieleo. If Koulotyolo created the earth and populated it, Katielo was later brought in to lead it: Senufo religious life is thus organized around this female figure, "mother of the village" and its initiates.