Statue of Antigua Nyeleni
Bambara · Mali
Reference: EFM-75
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- Height
- 70 cm
- Material
- Wood
Woman statue of heavy and hard wood and in spite of everything corroded by xylophages. Statue dedicated to the cult of ancestors. Nyeleni are female figures,…
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Full original description
Woman statue of heavy and hard wood and in spite of everything corroded by xylophages. Statue dedicated to the cult of ancestors. Nyeleni are female figures, with broad and flat shoulders, and tall and large conical breasts pointing to the front, representing the ideal of female beauty. Their faces express sweetness. They are used in initiation parties dyo held every seven years, or renewal. Its name “nyeleni” or “Do Nyeleni” means the “little favorite of Faro”. Faro is the main deity of the Bambara.
Further technical information
- Width
- 17 cm
- Attributed period
- First third of the century XX or older
Details transcribed from the original catalogue; they are not a recent physical inspection.
Country on the map
Mali. The country associated with the catalog is shown, not the current location of the piece.
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Attributions, dates and accounts come from the preserved catalogue. They do not constitute certification of authenticity or provenance. An object’s presence on this website does not mean it is available for sale.
