Product Description
Bamana Jonyeleni Figure of the Baniko region
This Small-scale female figure known as Jonyeleni or nyeleni originates from the artistic tradition of the Bamana people of Baniko region in Mali. The figures are an idealization of youthful feminine beauty.
Made of 100% wood, dark brown patina.
Model is W 6 – H 61 and weight 1.5 kg.
Description
This Small-scale female figure known as Jonyeleni or nyeleni originates from the artistic tradition of the Bamana people of Baniko region in Mali. The figures are an idealization of youthful feminine beauty. Young unmarried Bamana men use nyeleni sculpture to represent the ideal marriageable woman they hope to find a wife and partner. They are used in the initiation rituals of the Jo society of the Bambara peoples, one of the few secret societies to include women among Their Initiates. The Jonyeleni are Said to add visual interest to the songs and ceremonies of the Jo society, hence their name.
The term nyeleni or Jonyeleni whose name means “little ornaments,” is derived from a traditional Bamana girl’s name and has multiple interpretations, including “pretty little one”. Nyeleni figures emphasize a number of distinctive characteristics—most notably, a rather geometrically derived form. They have prominent conical breasts that project sharply from a flattened chest and are counterbalanced by exaggerated buttocks that jut out behind the figure. The arms, legs, and torsos are highly cylindrical. Hairstyles vary but usually exhibit some variation on a crest-like arrangement. The aesthetic beauty of such works is heightened by the addition of beads or metal accessories and oil, which is rubbed into the figure to produce a lustrous surface. These additions are comparable to the manner in which young Bamana women prepare themselves for special occasions. The incised patterns on the torso of the figure correspond to scarification marks once made to beautify adolescent Bamana women.
The Bambara numbering 2,500.000 million form the largest ethnic group within Mali. The triangle of the Bambara region, divided into two parts by the Niger River, constitutes the greater part of the western and southern Mali of today. The Bamana are members of the Mande culture, a large and powerful group of peoples in western Africa. Kaarta and Segou are Bamana city-states, which were established in the 17th century and continued to have political influence throughout the western Sudan states into the 19th century. At this time religious wars broke out throughout the region, setting Islamized societies against those who preferred to embrace traditional Bamana views.
Additional information
| Weight | 1.5 kg |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 6 × 61 cm |
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