Wood - carved from one-piece of wood

Gong, Wooden

Senufo Ceremonial Gong

Cote D'Ivoire
Senufo

Wood - carved from one-piece of wood
Early 20th Century

Height: 15.5 inches
Idiophone - Struck Directly

The Senufo live in Mali, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, and Ghana. This Senufo sculptured gong possibly comes from the greater Ivory Coast region. Its stylistic markings and shapes of a young woman reflect the skill and aesthetic sensibilities of the kpembele, woodworkers who specialized in figurative carvings used mostly for ceremonial purposes. According to Christa Ellison of Ikenga, Inc., "This gong may have been used for the SINZANGA ceremonies in the sacred grove of the PORO secret society. The seated figure is called NONG. The initiates perform blood-sacrifices for larger sculptures, in honor of KAATYELEO, a supreme deity. Some interpret these figures as the image of KAATYELEO, a hypotheses which runs against the notion that there are no material representations of supreme deities." A rod is used to strike the hollow cavity beneath the figure, which subsequently produces a muted sound . Provenance of the gong is from the Arthur Steinman Collection through Ikenga, Inc.

Owner:
Catalog#: AF-IDST-103-11

http://www.ikengainc.com