Zoomorphic shrine object, Bamana; Mali
Wood, sacrificial materials, clay; L. 21"
Like the mask form, this object can
serve as an altarpiece and is kept in a secluded
sanctuary. Boli sculpture depicts an animal
such as a hippopotamus or cow but in ritual use
builds into a dark accumulation of mud and sacrificial
materials in which the form becomes ambiguous. Used
for the good of the association and community in
dispelling evil, it is regarded with fear and loathing
by non-initiates in Bamana society. The simple form
of this example abstracts the nature of "animal"
almost to its limits, depicting the quintessential
idea within the image.
