SENOUFO STATUE, IVORY COAST Wood H. 55 cm Provenance... Lot 53

SENOUFO STATUE, IVORY COAST Wood H. 55 cm Provenance : - Former French private collection. A Senufo divination figure, this type of piece was used to establish communication with the supernatural world. Represented standing on a circular base, this female figure stands in a hieratic attitude. The angular face is topped by an elegant sagittal crest. The half-moon shaped eyes are slit and meet at the base of a fine, straight nose. The rectangular mouth opens onto a row of tightly packed teeth. Horizontal scarification marks emphasize the corners of the mouth. The body is punctuated by a remarkable dynamic of forms and is strongly inscribed in space. The conical breasts seem to spring from the torso. The hands are placed on either side of the abdomen. The shape of the fingers echoes the incisions on the hips.