Bamana Female Fertility Figure

The Bamana people of Mali utilize objects in numerous age/grade societies that oversee social order and rites of passage. The majority of Bamana artistic expression is related to one or another of these organizations, which require masks, power figures, and statuary for their ceremonies.

This figurine, almost certainly a Nyeleni figure, would have been used in men's initiatory grades among the Bamana as an object taken out and danced during later parts of the boys' initiations and depicting a young, nubile woman in her prime, therefore representing the female aspect to the boys now initiated as men.

Nyeleni figures depict the most beautiful and desirable attributes of the woman: Large perky breasts and buttocks, an elaborate coif, and beautiful skin. The classical Bamana characteristics of the face are also clearly indicated; long straight nose, high brow, and small pouting lips.

Unlike the famous seated Gwandasu figures, which depict a woman of high rank with hunting accouterments, Nyeleni figures are more primary and abstracted based on sexual attributes of womanhood. The scarification markings do in fact imitate Bamana models, however the style fell into disuse, but remained integral in the works of art.

It should be noted that figures of this style are often attributed to the Bamako region based on the morphology and the seated posture, though the distribution and specific artistic particularities may make this regional attribution spurious.

Of great importance is the excellent and original patina, evidenced in this example (which in most other examples has been altered or lost). Additionally, the harmonious interplay of the balance between the length of the arms, which in this example are not reduced to simple vestigial paddles, and the gentle bends of the legs, contrasted with the simple abstractions of the face, give the Gould example an unusual quality of abstraction and naturalism within the same composition.