Female figure with magical appendages
Sierra Leone, Mende
sold
EUR 1,000
Provenance
Paolo Morigi, Magliaso-Lugano, SwitzerlandWalter Stanley Schwab, Murten, Switzerland (“WS 162”) (1977)
Size
H: 43,5 cm
H: 17.1 inch
Description
wood, oily patina, metal, glass beads, nut, fibres, rest., base
Sculptures of standing women are used in the context of numerous initiation societies governing the life of the Mende, usually the Sande, but also the Njayei, Humoi and Yassi.
They have a protective role and therapeutic function, and are usually intended for curing diseases resulting from the transgression of interdictions.
Expertise
Paolo Morigi, 15 April 1977, Magliaso-LuganoPublications
Morigi, Paolo, "Le Sculture II", Galleria Arte Primitivo, Lugano 1975, cat. no. 9AHDRC: 0112706