Lot: 149

85th Tribal Art Auction

Maternité

Burkina Faso, Mossi/Senufo border

Provenance Size Starting price / estimated price
Bruno Frey, Arnay le Duc, France H: 22.8 inch This object is not available anymore.

wood, brown patina, black paint, traces of kaolin, carrying two children, broad rounded shoulders and flat triangular breasts, incised linear scrarification marks, dam., cracks, insect caused missing parts (neck, left arm, seat), corpus of the stool and figures lower legs missing (insect caused/cut), base;
in contrast to masks, which are used by the "tengabisi" in family religious ceremonies, figures are used by the "nakomsè" in a political context, as visual affirmations of the "nam" or right to rule.