Maternity figure, Senufo; Ivory Coast
Wood, traces of pigment; H. 401/2
This image served as a central icon
in the shrine of the men's sacred grove during initiations
into the Senufo Poro society. Poro
among the Senufo, as in the case of the Dan complex,
is concerned with the initiation of boys to manhood
and the teaching of moral rectitude. The almost
menacing quality of the mother's face is in stark
contrast to the abstracted featureless child that
she holds, for this child is not yet initiated,
not yet an intrinsic part of Senufo society. This
mother holds the potential child, the uninitiated
man who is still without shape due to his lack of
Poro knowledge. The contrasting complexity
of the figures and the sense of heightened, almost
ecstatic, awareness on the face of this Great Mother
remind us that we are dealing not with a mother
and her child but, to the Senufo, "The Mother"
cradling the potential of a neophyte. On an artistic
level we are dealing with a virtuoso carving. The
elongated trunk and arms thrust upward from a stunted
lower torso, and the head conveys power and forcefulness
as it echoes the motion inherent in the downward
push of the coif against the body. The resulting
dynamic tension resolves itself in the overall balance
of the cradled infant.
