Female figure "jo nyeleni" · Mali, Bamana · ID: 3047163

Name: Female figure "jo nyeleni"
SKU: 3047163
Availability: Discontinued

not available anymore

Provenance

Old British Collection (coll. in the 1960s/ 70s)

Size

H: 110 cm

H: 43.3 inch

Description

wood, metal, rest.

“Nyeleni” figures are property of the “jo” (also “dyow”) - society. They are used during “numu jo” initiation performances that take place every seven years. During the performance, the initiate children are “killed” and fully formed men are “reborn” into the community as “children of jo” (“jodenw”).

“Nyeleni” figures are carried by the “jodenw”, or placed on the ground, during the “numu jo” performance of song and dance. “Numu jo” performances tour several villages so that the men can display their newly acquired knowledge and earn gifts of money from villagers.

The figures add to the visual appeal of the performance and communicate the eligibility of the initiates as suitable husbands. It is said that the figures also represent an ideal wife for the initiates: youthful, feminine and beautiful.

The object Female figure “jo nyeleni” with the object ID 3047163 was last part of the auction Benefit Auction “Flood Disaster” at October 9, 2021 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house and had the lot number 48.

You can find more Figures and other popular object types on our related topic pages. You may also be interested in our page on African art.