African Tribal Art - Boli Bambara Fetish

Belgian private collection.

Named "boli" (pl. "boliw"), buffalo in African art, this fetish of variable size plays a central role in the ritual life of the Mandinka region. There are pocket "boliw", while others belong to chiefdoms, initiation societies, such as the Kono and Komo male initiation associations, whose members progress through a process spanning several decades, and even to States. Used as altars or during dance performances, these fetishes are created from revelations granted to the geniuses of the bush and transmitted to the diviners. They are made up of active amalgams coming from nature and/or organic, called “daliluw”. These materials are aggregated around an interior bamboo frame wrapped in white cotton linen, then coated with layers of mud and clay. Sacrificial materials accumulate on their surfaces over time. This zoomorphic-looking sculpture has a grainy, dry and hardened crust, on which light-colored drips can be seen.

Item accompanied by its certificate of authenticity.
PS: what does the certificate of authenticity consist of? https://www.galerie-art-africain.com/faq.aspx?qid=8

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