Sculpture Zoomorphe Boli Bamana, Mali.

This cult object called Boli belongs to the cult of Komo (which promotes crops, fertility and protects against witchcraft) widespread in eastern Mali and western Burkina Faso and once played an essential role in spiritual life of BamanaThese objects of power belong to male initiation associations whose members progress through a process of integration that spans decades to reach an understanding of the natural and spiritual worlds. The main function of a Boli is to accumulate and control the natural life force called nyama for the spiritual benefit of the community. Used as altars or worn in dance performances, they are intricate creations created from esoteric ingredients. The nyama pour le bénéfice spirituel de la communauté. Utilisés comme autels ou portés lors de spectacles de danse, ce sont des créations complexes créées à partir d’ingrédients ésotériques. Les Boli are composed of a wooden "core" wrapped in a white cotton cloth covered with layers of mud and clay around which over time the sacrificial materials are encrusted, such as chicken and goat blood, bones of 'animals, chewed cola nuts, alcohol and millet porridge. As the sacrificial materials build up over time, and the crust cracks and hardens, each layer added gives the Boli great spiritual power. The creature that represents a Boli is not identifiable, but many take on a zoomorphic form while others may be anthropomorphic. The Boli has been cosmologically described as both a symbol of the universe and a receptacle for the forces that animate the universe. As custodians of enormous spiritual power or nyama,the Boli are viewed with fear and fear. They were traditionally the most essential instruments of communication between earthly mortals and supernatural powers and as such, according to Sarah Brett-Smith, they are an important part of the judicial structureBamana, inanimate objects to which the community entrusts its decision-making.

Origin
Ex private collection from the south of France.

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