Female statue kneeling with hands on chest

Title: Kneeling Female Statue with Hands on Chest
Population: Senufo
Cultural Area: West Africa, Ivory Coast / Mali / Burkina Faso
Date: 20th century (probably first half)
Material: Carved wood, dark patina
Dimensions: h. 58 x 11 x 15 cm
Cultural Interpretation: In the Senufo tradition, statues of this type were used in the rituals of the Poro initiatory society and in ceremonies related to fertility, community protection, and ancestor worship. The hands on the chest may allude to a gesture of respect towards the spirits or a request for a blessing. The engraved decorations are symbolic of protection and cultural belonging, while the figure on the back could represent a connection with the spiritual world or the transmission of initiatory knowledge.
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