250901 - African Bamana Boli sculpture - Mali

African Boli sculpture - Mali
Size: 29 cm high and 39 cm wide.

A rough, cracked surface obscures the precise identification of the organic and inorganic materials combined to create the boli (plural: boliw), or power object, depicted here.

Such objects play a vital role in the spiritual life of the Bamana. The boliw have attracted considerable attention from Western observers because of their amorphous shapes and unusual materials. The spherical, amorphous form is a rather unique feature of the Bamana art repertoire. Boliw consist of a wooden "core" frame, wrapped in white cotton cloth, around which clay and sacrificial materials are woven. This boli has four short "legs" on which it rests, and a single bump rising from the top. The boli can be zoomorphic or sometimes even anthropomorphic.

The creature a boli represents is not clearly identifiable, but it is usually assumed to be a buffalo or zebu. The boliw have attracted considerable attention from Western observers because of their amorphous shapes and unusual materials. This spherical, amorphous form is a rather unique characteristic of the Bamana art repertoire. Boliw consist of a wooden "core" frame, wrapped in white cotton cloth, around which clay and sacrificial materials are incorporated. This boli has four short "legs" on which it rests, and a single hump rising from the top.

The people of Mali practice the so-called Bamanaya cult, which means sacrificing animals to the boliw and communicating with the afterlife through masked dancers. In Mandingo religions, a boli is an object called "charged," meaning that through its magic, it can perform extraordinary feats, such as predicting the future or healing someone. The boli, which can also be made of animal remains, clay, tissue, skin, etc., is itself a symbol of the placenta. It is considered a living being and contains a core of wood, stone, or metal. This core, or "grain," symbolizes life energy. The more blood or barley juice the boli receives, the more it will be "charged" with nyama (life force).