Expressive anthropomorphic figure ·  Côte d'Ivoire, Baule · ID: 3053225

Description

wood, plant fibres, animal horns and hair,
Depiction of a zoomorphic protective figure of the Baule people, known as “m’Botoumbo”, in the characteristic combination of human and ape-like features (cynocephalus). The figure embodies a supernatural power that plays a central role in the agricultural cycle and acts as a ritual mediator between the community, the ancestral world and the forces of nature.

The village communities gather around this figure for the ceremonial opening of the yam harvest - one of the most important events in the agricultural calendar. The ceremonies include sacrificial rites, such as the offering of hens, whose blood is consecrated to the figure, and eggs, which are ritually smashed against it. Seeds and other offerings are placed in an accompanying bowl, invoking fertility, protection and a blessed harvest.

Only after these ritual acts have been properly performed are the farmers allowed to consume the new yams.

Comparing literature

Rivière, Marceau, Les Chefs-d'Oeuvre Africains des Collections Privées Françaises, Paris 1975, p. 20