The Kissi people revere stone anthropomorphic
carvings found in fields and rivers in an area
located around the Sewa and Mano Rivers. They
are called Pombo, meaning “the deceased.”
These carvings are extremely old and it was not
until 1959 that Western scholars associated
them with the so-called Afro-Portuguese ivory
objects carved by artists of the Sapi kingdom.
Although the Sapi kingdom collapsed in the 16th
century, their art survived buried beneath the
ground. Occasionally, these ancient works would
be accidentally unearthed, usually through
flooding or farming. Kissi artists would often
rework the Sapi sculptures, resulting in a
multitude of variations of types and styles. This
sculpture depicts an elongated, seated figure
resting his head in his hands. The intricacy of
the carving is remarkable for such works,
specifically the finely detailed hairs of his
eyebrows and the diagonal grid patterns that
decorate his upper arms. Interestingly, his eyes
feature slanted incisions, perhaps representing
that his eyes are clenched close. Pombo
sculptures were believed to house ancient spirits.
According to Kissi belief, these sculptures acted
as intermediaries between the living and their
deceased ancestors. They would be worshiped
on small altars or in deep bowls. This sculpture,
a literal relic of the past, continues to
communicate with the lost world left behind.
Magically unearthed, it is a gift from the past to
the present. Surely, this sculpture was as
revered by the Kissi villagers who discovered it
as by the Sapi artists who crafted it.
- (PF.6152)
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