Four:
20th c.
Carved wood
Largest: 20" x 3 7/8" x 12 1/2"
Provenance: Allan Stone Collection, New York
The Senufo peoples consist of more than thirty subgroups with many local variations of language and custom, and occupy a large area that spans the national boundaries of Côte d'Ivoire, Mali, and Burkina Faso. Divination underlies the creation of many forms of artistic expression in Senufo and other communities across West Africa where people from rural and urban communities consult diviners about medical, psychological, professional, or other personal challenges. Successful diviners at once master an understanding of the complex problems in people’s lives
know medicines and cures
communicate with the spiritual world
and create aesthetically rich environments with sculptures and altars as settings for consultations. The diviner may use musical instruments, found objects or sculpted instruments like these to assess their clients' concerns, gain insight into the causes of disruptions in their lives and help them move beyond them.


References


Gagliardi, Susan Elizabeth, “Divination and Senufo Sculpture in West Africa,” In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000-, 2010 (www.metmuseum.org)

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