Standing female figure "jo nyeleni"

Description

wood, slightly shiny brown patina, eyes with metal tags, slender trunk with prominent breasts, delicate face and body scarifications, coiffure with side lobes, rich ear ornament with tufts of cotton and five earrings each, min. dam., small missing parts (foot tips), slight traces of abrasion, base;
“Jo nyeleni” figures belong to the “jo” association. Most “jo” figural sculpture is used by the “numu jo” troop, the blacksmiths initiates. The “nyeleni” figures are either carried by the performers 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.