Kunst

Interiør og dekoration

Smykker og ædelstene

Ure, kuglepenne og lightere

Mode

Mønter og frimærker

Tegneserier og animation

Klassiske Biler, Motorcykler og automobilia

Vin, whisky og spiritus

Asiatisk Kunst og stammekunst

Byttekort

Legetøj og modeller

Arkæologi og naturhistorie

Sport

Musik, film og kameraer

Bøger og historiske memorabilia

De fineste genstande bragt til dig af {name}

Julien Gauthier

A Bamana Maternity figure ‘Gwandusu’, collected in Temena, Dioïla region, Mali; seated on her knees with one infant on each knee. Several scratches and minor cracks on the surface of sculpture, signs of ritual use and age.

Gwandusu, a seated maternity figure from the Bamana people of southern Mali, particularly the Dioïla and Bougouni regions, embodies complex layers of ritual, aesthetic, and social meaning. These sculptures, often carved from dense hardwoods and measuring over a meter in height, depict a mother seated on a stool, holding her infant closely against her torso. The figure expresses composure and dignity: the face is typically elongated, with a calm, introspective expression, heavy-lidded eyes, and incised scarification patterns across the cheeks, neck, and torso. The coiffure is elaborately carved, often in the form of a crested helmet with braided extensions flowing over the shoulders. The breasts are full and conical, signifying fertility and nourishment, and the body’s proportions emphasize elegance and strength rather than anatomical realism.

These figures were not mere artistic representations of motherhood but were vital ritual objects within the Gwan and Jo initiation societies. Gwan, a society focused on fertility and moral conduct, used Gwandusu during ceremonies aimed at promoting female fertility, successful childbirth, and the socialization of both men and women into adulthood. Women unable to conceive might seek the blessings of the Gwandusu figure, making offerings and participating in its veneration. If successful in bearing children, they might name them after the sculpture or dedicate their lives to its spiritual patronage.

Gwandusu was often part of a larger ensemble that included her male counterpart, Gwantigi, and multiple female attendants known as fè mògòw. These ensembles were kept in sacred enclosures and brought out for annual festivals and rituals, during which they were washed, anointed with oil and organic substances, and adorned with cloth and beads. Through these rites, the sculptures were activated as living presences within the community, mediating between the human and spiritual worlds. Their spiritual significance was amplified by their physical presence: the size and weight of the figures, their glistening patinas from years of ritual anointing, and the symbolism embedded in their forms created a powerful impression of vitality, care, and dignity.

Though today many Gwandusu figures are housed in museums or private collections, their original contexts were deeply communal, embedded in oral traditions, religious beliefs, and the sociopolitical frameworks of Bamana society. They exemplify the fusion of form and function in African art: aesthetically sophisticated objects that simultaneously serve as moral exemplars, ritual tools, and social symbols.

The name Gwandusu is rich in meaning. The prefix "Gwan" refers to the Gwan society and carries connotations of intensity, passion, and endurance. "Dusu" means soul, heart, or vital force. Together, the name evokes a maternal archetype whose body and spirit embody the moral and emotional core of the community. She is more than a mother; she is a moral pillar, a vessel of continuity, and a figure of hope and regeneration.
Gwandusu figures are attributed to the carvers of the numu, or blacksmith caste, who traditionally held the technical and spiritual knowledge required to create such potent forms. The figures' stylistic consistency across the Dioïla and Bougouni regions suggests a shared visual vocabulary, likely passed down through generations of carvers within these lineages.

Despite their importance, individual sculptors remain largely unnamed, and exact provenances are often unclear due to the nature of their collection during the colonial and early postcolonial periods. However, stylistic comparison among extant examples allows scholars to associate particular forms with specific regions or workshops. The figures' recurring features—massive limbs, serene facial expressions, symbolic gestures, and the integration of scarification and coiffure—attest to the shared ideals of femininity, fertility, and spiritual strength within Bamana aesthetics.
The Gwandusu figure stands as a powerful symbol of the intersection between artistic form and communal life. It is not only an image of motherhood, but a reminder of the role art plays in shaping, sustaining, and projecting social values across generations.

References:
Kate Ezra, A Human Ideal in African Art: Bamana Figurative Sculpture, Washington, D.C.: National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, 1986.
Jean-Paul Colleyn, Bamana: The Art of Existence in Mali, New York: Museum for African Art, 2001.
Robert Farris Thompson, African Art in Motion: Icon and Act in the Collection of Katherine Coryton White, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 1974.
Jean Laude, African Art of the Dogon and the Bambara, London: Thames and Hudson, 1973.
Youssouf Tata Cissé and Wá Kamissoko, La grande geste du Mali, Paris: Editions Karthala, 2000.
Barbara E. Frank, Mande Potters and Leatherworkers: Art and Heritage in West Africa, Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1998.
Susan Vogel (ed.), Art/Artifact: African Art in Anthropology Collections, New York: Center for African Art, 1988.

Træ - Rimelig stand

En træskulptur - Bamana - Mali  (Ingen mindstepris)

Afrikansk kunst og stammekunst

Reservepris

Ingen mindstepris

Køb nu

Slutdato

søndag

onsdag

lørdag

mandag

tirsdag

i morgen

2 april

i dag

5 april

Budget

Lokation

Frankrig

Belgien

Tyskland

Holland

Østrig

Italien

Spanien

Portugal

Grækenland

Polen

Cypern

Danmark

Storbritannien

Luxembourg

Mål

Højde

Bredde

Dybde

Genstand

Stammekunst og -genstande

Gamle skulpturer, udskæringer og figurer

Stammemasker

Figur

Skulptur

Dansemaske

Stammesmykker og -udsmykninger

Stammetekstiler og -tøj

Tekstil

Perle

Fetish figur

Forfaderfigur

Daggert

Stammevåben og -skjolde

Statue

Statuette

Halskæde

Spyd

Maleri

Vase

Kort sværd

Sværd

Oprindelsesland

DR Congo

Mali

Nigeria

Elfenbenskysten

Congo

Gabon

Burkina Faso

Ghana

Benin

Cameroun

Togo

Afrika

Angola

Tanzania

Etiopien

Den Demokratiske Republik Congo

Tchad

Kenya

Niger

Liberia

Centralafrikanske Republik

Rwanda

Guinea

Materiale

Træ

Bronze

Terrakotta

Glas

Læder

Knogle

Jern (smedet)

Metal

Sølv

Messing

Stål

Kobber

Aluminium

Sten

Patineret bronze

Bomuld

Jern (støbt/smeltet)

Tekstiler

Muslingeskal

Bakelit

Horn

Legering

Ibenholt

Dyrehår

Køn

Unisex

Kvinder

Mænd

Tilstand

God stand

Rimelig stand

God stand - brugt med små tegn på aldring og mindre fejl

fremragende stand

Som ny - ubrugt

God stand - brugt med nogle tegn på slid

Fremragende stand - næsten ikke brugt med minimalt tegn på aldring og slid

Rimelig stand -  brugt meget og mindre dele mangler muligvis

Fremragende

Behov for restaurering

Meget god

Dårlig - brugt meget med store revner, skader eller manglende store dele

God stand, se beskrivelse

Rimelig

Rigtigt god stand - kun lidt brugt med små tegn på slid

God stand - brugt med små tegn på aldring

Fremragende stand - knap brugt med minimalt tegn på slid

Rimelig stand - brugt med synlige tegn på slid

Ikke-udstedt/som ny

Meget god +

Meget god stand, meget lette tegn på brug

Generelt i god stand med tegn på aldring og brug

Ekstra tilbehør

Ingen ekstramaterialer

Periode

midten af det 20. århundrede

Slutningen af det 20. århundrede

2000-2010

1930-1940

Begyndelsen af det 20. århundrede

1920-1930

1940-1950

1950-1960

1960-1970

1910-1920

2020+

Slutningen af det 19. århundrede

1980-1990

1990-2000

1970-1980

1900-1910

1850-1900

2010-2020

1800-1850

midten af det 19. århundrede

2022

Begyndelsen af det 17. århundrede

Begyndelsen af det 19. århundrede

1400-1450

2020

Certificering

Ingen laboratorierapport

Emne

Portræt

Stil

Folkekunst

Antik

Naivisme

Vintage

Art Deco

Bauhaus

Gamle Asien

Antik-inspireret

Samtidskunst

Moderne

Teknik

Akrylmaling

Digitaltryk

Giclée

Afrikansk kunst og stammekunst

Denne genstand er ikke længere tilgængeligt, men der er stadig meget at udforske

En træskulptur - Bamana - Mali (Ingen mindstepris)

Populær i Afrikansk kunst og stammekunst

1371 genstande

Relaterede samlinger