Among the most famous statues of African art
are a series known as the Pombibele, “those who
give birth.” This large sculpture, appropriately
enough in the form of a woman, would have
been used during the funeral ceremonies of Poro
members, a male "secret" society, headed by the
village elders, where the sacred knowledge of
manhood is transferred to young initiates. In the
southern Senufo area, these statues are carried
and then pounded on the ground, providing
rhythm for the dancers.
This sculpture is the representation of an
idealized woman. Her elongated, sinuous forms
are based upon the ideals of femininity. Her face
appears like a typical Senufo mask with its semi-
circular eyes, arched brows, pointed chin, and
protruding mouth. Ritualistic scarifications are
evident on her temples, cheeks, and chin, as well
as her breasts, arms, legs, and most prominently
on her navel. The ritually inflicted scars were
considered marks of beauty and surely enhance
this woman’s stature, as do the bracelets
wrapped around her wrists and her elaborately
groomed coiffure sculpted in the form of a
stylized crest. The woman’s physical stature
reveals her inherent fertility, most noticeable in
her large conical breasts and protruding navel.
The forms and composition of the figure are just
the beginning of its beauty. For in this work,
form and function are intertwined and
inseparable. Funeral ceremonies, while generally
somber occasions, can also become celebrations
of life, as is implied by this sculpture. We can
hear the beat of its pounding, we can picture the
dancers, we can sense something greater than
our eyes behold.
- (PF.2751)
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