Female post figure "nakomsé" · Burkina Faso, Mossi · ID: 3032121
Description
wood, light reddish brown patina, abstract forms: an armless female torso rising from a post fragment, head with crested coiffure and accentuated nose ridge, dam., missing parts, weathering and insect caused damage, chips, metal plate;
presumably part of a paired door post (male-female) that are sunk in the ground to either side of the entrances to royal compounds. Their presence should inform the passerby of the importance of the occupant. As protective spirits they guarded the compound from evil.
The object Female post figure “nakomsé” with the object ID 3032121 was last part of the auction 68th tribal art auction at March 3, 2012 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house. The object with the lot number 306 achieved a sales price of EUR 350.
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Comparing literature
Roy, Christopher D., Land of the flying masks, München 2007, p. 390