Altar Mbotumbo

Mbotumbo is the name given to the so-called “begging monkey”. The begging monkey is an important element of Baule statuary.

The M'Botumbo monkey is the incarnation of Gbekré, the lesser god, genius of the jungle and the fields. Half man, half animal, the monkey often embodies agrarian divinities. The M ́Botumbo appears standing, in a human attitude, with legs slightly bent and arms stretched forward, having, generally, a cup in hand, in an attitude of receiving the offerings.

The name of beggar monkey is also due to the same gesture that can be interpreted as a mendicant attitude.

Gbekré is the son of Ago, the second wife of Nyamyé, the god of heaven, who forms a trinity with Assié, the earth and his son Assasi-na, created by the great god Alurua. The Gbekré is a powerful and fearsome character that can produce possession phenomena. He is respected and feared. The statues that represent him, the M ́Botumbos, are kept in the family altars, inside the houses, to obtain the protection of the families. He is guardian of souls in the other world and judge of those who have misbehaved. It is protector of the living and of the peoples against evil spirits, but it also embodies the force of the devastating animal of the crops. To implore their protection, the BauléAt the time of sowing, they make him offerings and libations, eggs, blood, millet mush, to obtain his favors and a good harvest. A sacrificer deposits an egg in the cup that they usually carry, crushes it against his skull and then sprays it with the blood of a slaughtered animal. These offerings regenerate their protective capacity.

This Mbotumbo is not an altarpiece that is kept in family shrines, it is an altar on which intercession ceremonies are held. This monkey is a representation of the cynocephalus, with an elongated skull in this case. Like most beggar monkeys, he has a cup of offerings in his hands, a cup of offerings or a petition cup to receive the obolo of the interns. He's sitting on his legs and on a turtle. The turtle symbolizes for the Baulé Patience and recklessness. The statue preserves the traces of numerous libations.