Seated male figure "lü mä"

Description

wood, black paint, metal, elaborate original repair (crested hairstyle), cracks, base

“Lü mä” (“wooden person”) are portraits, mostly of living people, whose name the figures bear. Portraits are not to be understood in the sense of our western understanding of art. Rather, they are typified figures that become a specific individual through certain features (scarification marks, particular hairstyle, etc.).

Owning figurines was considered a status symbol by the Dan and was associated with hosting a big feast for the community.