Zoomorphic African BOLI Figure

775.00

Rare Tribal used African Bambara Boli Fetish Zoomorphe statue. The boli captures, to accumulate and control of vital energy, nyama, so natural and spiritual strength. The most sacred of Bamana populations (Mali) object, it is kept in a sanctuary, away from the eyes of the uninitiated.  It is, strictly speaking, under sculpture assembly because the object is made, according to a symbolic and a very complex ritual, an amalgam of various fragments: wood, bark, leaves, earth, leather son of cotton, bone, hair, claws, fangs, blood, and other body parts of animals. So that the true condensed mineral, animal and vegetable forces act, we must flatter active words, maintain by subtle sprinklings and feed by bloody sacrifices.

The boli can be zoomorphic (mostly a buffalo or a zebu) or even sometimes anthropomorphic. The populations of Mali who practice the so-called bamanaya cult, that is to say who indulge in the sacrifices of animals on the boli and who communicate with the afterlife through masked dancers say they are Bamana In the Mandingo religions a boli is an object said “charged”, that is to say that by its magic it is able to accomplish extraordinary things, such as to give death, to guess the future, to take possession of someone, etc. The boli, which can also be made up of human or animal placenta, clay, tissue, skin, etc., is itself the symbol of the placenta.It is considered a living being and contains within it a core that can be either a stone, a metal or any other material. This nucleus or “grain” symbolizes the vital energy. The more blood the boli will receive, the more it will be “charged” with nyama (vital force).

Quantity

Description

more information

| DIMENSIONS    h 25 cm w 30 cm d 11 cm
| PERIOD   1950s possibly earlier
| PLACE OF ORIGIN   Mali, Africa
| PROVENANCE   private collection, France
| MATERIALS   clay, natural fibers
| CONDITION    in good vintage condition, traces of age
| We ship worldwide and fully insured, more information here.

Please note: This is a unique vintage item and has trace of use/storage and may have cracks/loss of paint.
Artworks are hard to photograph, we tried to get the colors to match the actual artwork. However, some differences may occur. Please take a close look to the photos.

This item was chosen for its unique style and quality.
Want to know why or do you have any other questions, just send us a message!