African tribal art - Boli Bambara fetish

Private Belgian collection.

Called a boli (pl. boliw), this fetish, which means "buffalo" in African art, occupies a central place in ritual life in the Mandingo region. Boliw vary in size: some are small, while others belong to chiefdoms, initiation societies such as the Kono and Komo men's associations, where members progress through a long process spanning several decades, or even states. Used as altars or in dance performances, these objects are created from revelations made by bush genies and passed on to diviners. Their manufacture involves the use of active amalgams derived from nature and organic materials known as daliluw. These substances are grouped around an inner bamboo frame, wrapped in a white cotton cloth and then covered with layers of mud and clay. Over time, sacrificial materials accumulate on the surface, giving the zoomorphic sculpture a grainy, dry and hardened appearance, with light-coloured drips.