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HOME :
African & Tribal Art :
Kissi : Kissi Soapstone Nomoli Sculpture of a Kneeling Figure
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Kissi Soapstone Nomoli Sculpture of a Kneeling Figure - PF.6155
Origin: Guinea/Sierra Leone
Circa: 16
th
Century AD
to 20
th
Century AD
Dimensions:
7.5" (19.1cm) high
Collection: African
Style: Kissi
Medium: Soapstone
£7,500.00
Location: UAE
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| Description |
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 Nomoli. 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 were 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 charming sculpture depicts a kneeling
figure with a large, swollen stomach. While the
figure appears to be a pregnant woman, there is
no indication of breasts or clearly defined
genitalia. Thus, this sculpture may represent
spiritual fertility. However, it may represent a
man suffering from the disease known as
ascites, of which abdominal distention is a
symptom. In this case, the sculpture would act
as a medicinal tool. Libations would be paid to
the work in order to cure an individual suffering
from ascites. The facial features, including the
large lips, flaring nose, and bulging eyes, are all
characteristic of Pombo figures. According to
Kissi belief, such sculptures were thought to act
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, suggesting the bounty yet to come.
This fertility sculpture was surely as revered by
the Kissi villagers who discovered it as by the
Sapi artists who crafted it.
- (PF.6155)
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