Senufo culture is best represented by several types of human figures, called deble, used by the initiates of the Lo society to stamp upon the ground during their ceremonial dances. Senufo figures are marked by a great sculptural tension, achieved through the strong curves of the torso and limbs that imply and support the vertical axis. Carved of wood, this Senufo sculpture is a fine example of such qualities. Depicting an elongated male figure, its slender body and face, with large eyes and highly stylized semi-circular eyebrows, reminds the viewers of an innocent young man. His hair has been elegantly styled in a typical Senufo coiffure featuring a prominent central braid that hangs over his forehead like the beak of a bird. He wears pairs of decorative armbands and has been scarified over various parts of his body, a tradition that identifies his position within society as well as enhancing his physical beauty. The body is carved smoothly and gracefully, to fit its function as an instrument at funeral ceremonies and rites of initiation. Africans created art works to embody magical, supernatural powers that could not be rationally explained. Their art works were spiritual and religious mediators able to travel from the human world to the spiritual world of deceased ancestors. The gracefully abstract physicality of African sculptures, such as this Senufo figure, were a result of both the visual aesthetics of the artists as well as the important cultural functions of the sculptures themselves.
- (PF.5458)
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