Initiation statue "déblé" - Côte d'Ivoire






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Description from the seller
Ivory Coast
Senoufo / Senufo
Dense and hard wood
Height: 550 mm
Width: 145 mm
Depth: 125 mm
Weight: 2330 g
An ancient tribal repair on the left side of the cimier.
This 55 cm high piece actually belongs to the major category of rhythm statues called Déblé (or Pombibele, literally "the children of Poro"), used during the ceremonies of the Poro secret society.
1. Stylistic Characteristics and Sénoufo Iconography
The geometric, slender aesthetic of the statue perfectly meets the criteria of the great mythical Sénoufo ancestors:
The pestle or massive base: The statue rests on a heavy, thick, circular pedestal shaped like a pestle. It is the absolute hallmark of Déblé, designed specifically to be grasped by the arms and beaten against the ground.
The headdress or crown disk: The large flat circular element above the head is an extreme stylization of certain ritual hairstyles or sacred divination platters, here adorned with geometric motifs (zigzag lines, cross) symbolizing the forces of creation and the crossroads of the invisible world.
The chevron-shaped arms and volumes: The arms form rigid, massive right angles ending in simplified hands resting on the abdomen or hips. The face offers a gaunt profile, a prognathic jaw jutting forward, and typical linear scarifications (temples, cheeks, abdomen).
2. Use within the Poro society
The Déblé statue is one of the most sacred objects of Sénoufo initiation. It embodies the spirit of a primordial ancestor.
The pounding of the earth (Funereal Rhythm): At the funerals of a dignitary of the Poro society, initiates advance in a solemn procession. They hold these statues by the arms or around the body and strike the ground in cadence to the rhythm of the great drums and wooden horns.
The spiritual resonance: This heavy, repetitive pounding aims to awaken Mother Earth (Katyeleeo), to invoke the ancestors to welcome the soul of the deceased, and to purify the village of the stain of death.
Fertility cult: Outside of funerals, these statues brought out during agricultural rites allow fertilization of the soil before sowing, transferring the sacred energy of the ancestors into the nourishing earth.
Summary
This 55 cm statue is a Sénoufo Déblé (rhythm statuette). Representing a female ancestral figure with cubist forms surmounted by a large circular emblem, it was used by initiates of the Poro society to strike the ground in rhythm during traditional funerals and agricultural rites, in order to purify the community, honor the dead, and solicit the fertility of the earth.
Fast and protected shipping. Packages are sent with a tracking number. Delivery in 1 to 3 days in France via Chronopost, 2 to 5 days throughout the European Union via Chronopost International. Delivery via Colissimo International to the rest of Europe and worldwide
We speak english.
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Seller's Story
Ivory Coast
Senoufo / Senufo
Dense and hard wood
Height: 550 mm
Width: 145 mm
Depth: 125 mm
Weight: 2330 g
An ancient tribal repair on the left side of the cimier.
This 55 cm high piece actually belongs to the major category of rhythm statues called Déblé (or Pombibele, literally "the children of Poro"), used during the ceremonies of the Poro secret society.
1. Stylistic Characteristics and Sénoufo Iconography
The geometric, slender aesthetic of the statue perfectly meets the criteria of the great mythical Sénoufo ancestors:
The pestle or massive base: The statue rests on a heavy, thick, circular pedestal shaped like a pestle. It is the absolute hallmark of Déblé, designed specifically to be grasped by the arms and beaten against the ground.
The headdress or crown disk: The large flat circular element above the head is an extreme stylization of certain ritual hairstyles or sacred divination platters, here adorned with geometric motifs (zigzag lines, cross) symbolizing the forces of creation and the crossroads of the invisible world.
The chevron-shaped arms and volumes: The arms form rigid, massive right angles ending in simplified hands resting on the abdomen or hips. The face offers a gaunt profile, a prognathic jaw jutting forward, and typical linear scarifications (temples, cheeks, abdomen).
2. Use within the Poro society
The Déblé statue is one of the most sacred objects of Sénoufo initiation. It embodies the spirit of a primordial ancestor.
The pounding of the earth (Funereal Rhythm): At the funerals of a dignitary of the Poro society, initiates advance in a solemn procession. They hold these statues by the arms or around the body and strike the ground in cadence to the rhythm of the great drums and wooden horns.
The spiritual resonance: This heavy, repetitive pounding aims to awaken Mother Earth (Katyeleeo), to invoke the ancestors to welcome the soul of the deceased, and to purify the village of the stain of death.
Fertility cult: Outside of funerals, these statues brought out during agricultural rites allow fertilization of the soil before sowing, transferring the sacred energy of the ancestors into the nourishing earth.
Summary
This 55 cm statue is a Sénoufo Déblé (rhythm statuette). Representing a female ancestral figure with cubist forms surmounted by a large circular emblem, it was used by initiates of the Poro society to strike the ground in rhythm during traditional funerals and agricultural rites, in order to purify the community, honor the dead, and solicit the fertility of the earth.
Fast and protected shipping. Packages are sent with a tracking number. Delivery in 1 to 3 days in France via Chronopost, 2 to 5 days throughout the European Union via Chronopost International. Delivery via Colissimo International to the rest of Europe and worldwide
We speak english.
mask african art Afrikanische Maskenkunst arte de máscaras africanas arte delle maschere africane
statue african art Arte de estatuas africanas arte delle statue africane Afrikanische Maskenkunst
