Bamana Female Figure, Mali

John J. Klejman, New York
Edwin and Cherie Silver, Los Angeles, acquired from the above on April 8, 1972

Very good condition overall. Some nicks, chips, and scratches consistent with age and use. Minor vertical age crack to the top one-third of the torso on the figure's front, running from the top of the neck between the breasts. Three cracks to the base, between the figure's feet. Fine dark brown patina. Fixed to modern metal base.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Nyeleni female figures played an important role in the initiation ceremonies of the Jo, a religious society that helped to provide social cohesion and order in many southern Bamana communities. Once every seven years, young Bamana initiates who have been studying the rites and ideas of the Jo and preparing for their ceremonial "re-birth" are lead to a secluded bush where a symbolic "killing of the Jo" takes place. This event marks the attainment of adulthood for the initiates - known as jodenw - after which they travel to various villages demonstrating their knowledge of the Jo society through song and dance in exchange for gifts. On their travels, the jodenw carry these stylized nyeleni figures, which "evoke the young girl in her ideal state with the highest degree of physical attraction" (Ezra, Figure Sculpture of the Bamana of Mali, 1983, p. 11-12). As such, nyeleni figures represent the canons of Bamana female beauty.

While these canons of beauty are bound up in Bamana tradition, their sculptural expression in this figure bears affinity to Cubist aesthetics of early twentieth century Western artists. The figure of the torso is elongated and cylindrical, framed by slender and angular arms. Two sharply conical breasts protrude from the top of the torso’s concentrically patterned surface, which evokes the scarification found on the bodies of young Bamana women. The drastically shortened lower body of the figure is defined by the rounded, exaggerated buttocks that provide a geometric counterbalance to the breasts. The facial features of the figure are flattened and stylized while the narrow and geometrically shaped head are accentuated by a pair of metal earrings. The dark patina on the surface of the wood, sometimes enhanced by the anointment of oils in Jo rituals, harkens to the bodies of young female dancers (Ezra, Bamana Figurative Sculpture, 1986, p. 17).