This impressive female figure comes from the Senufo culture in present-day Mali. With her upright posture and accentuated female forms, she embodies central ideals of beauty, fertility and spiritual power. The calm facial expression and closed eyes lend the figure a contemplative presence typical of traditional Senufo woodcarving.
The stylized proportions and the ritual scarification marks on her face indicate her cultic function. Figures like this were closely associated with religious practice and probably served as symbols of protection in ceremonial contexts. They often reflect the Senufo's deep relationship with their spiritual ancestors.
