Standing male figure "doogélé" ·  Côte d'Ivoire, Senufo · ID: 3052396

Description

wood,

This figure was separated from its female counterpart. The latter published in the Expo. cat.: “Women Eternal, the female image in African Art” , Tambaran Gallery, New York, 1991, # 2.

Big statues of the Senufo are generally ascribed to the “poro”, a secret society, responsible for conveying ritual knowledge and for the preservation of tradition. Therefore the statues are accurately related to as “poro biibèlè” - “children of the poro”.

The figures were usually sculpted in pairs, male/female, and were used at funeral celebrations for important persons.

When not in use the figures were kept near the “kbaala”, a large shelter, existing in every village. The figures should keep watch and should demonstrate that the “poro” is present in the village. With the “poro” certain duties, functions and rank of the initiates within the grade system are associated.

The object Standing male figure “doogélé” with the object ID 3052396 was last part of the auction Auction 105 at November 15, 2025 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house. The object with the lot number 273 achieved a sales price of EUR 5,000.

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Comparing literature

Burkhard, Gottschalk, Senufo - Unbekannte Schätze aus privaten Sammlungen, Düsseldorf 2009, p. 172 ff.