Standing female figure "jo nyeleni" · Mali, Bamana · ID: 3037536

Name: Standing female figure "jo nyeleni"
SKU: 3037536
Price: 3000 EUR
Availability: SoldOut

sold EUR 3,000

Provenance

Josef Herman, Suffolk, Great Britain

Size

H: 48 cm

H: 18.9 inch

Description

wood, middle brown patina, metal tags (eyes and decoration), the primary accent lying on the disproportionately oversized conical breasts (which surely should symbolize physical strength and fertility), slightly dam., minor missing parts (tips of breasts, plaits and right foot), rep. (breakage at the plaits right hand side (fixed by nail) and at the right arm) forehead and nose bridge as well as the right breast marked by insect caused damage;
at performances the “nyeleni” figures are either carried by the dancers or placed behind them on the ground as a kind of backdrop. “Nyeleni” are said to increase visual interest, punctuating the performance and attracting the audience’s attention. They are “things to look at”. In performance they are adorned with loincloths, jewelry, head ties, or other items borrowed from young women in the village.
The design of hairdo (in two lobes staggerered one after another) and face (narrow triangular flattened with T-shaped arranged eybrows and nose) referring to a workshop from the Segou region..

The object Standing female figure “jo nyeleni” with the object ID 3037536 was last part of the auction 78th tribal art auction at October 18, 2014 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house. The object with the lot number 146 achieved a sales price of EUR 3,000.

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