A female Mendé statue, collected in the Bo region of southern Sierra Leone. The sculpture reflects stylistic characteristics associated with the central and southern Mendé-speaking areas, where figural carving developed distinct regional variations. The elongated neck, compact torso, and restrained modeling of the body emphasize ideals of composure and controlled beauty rather than naturalistic representation. Particularly noteworthy is the elaborate three-part coiffure arranged in a fan-like form, a hairstyle documented in the Bo and neighboring regions during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Such coiffures translated contemporary fashions into sculptural form and could indicate age, status, wealth, and social refinement. Compared with examples from eastern Mendé territories, sculptures from the Bo region often display broader facial planes, a more compact overall silhouette, and coiffures organized into clearly defined geometric sections. The fan-shaped tripartite arrangement creates a strong vertical emphasis and demonstrates the carver’s interest in rhythmic pattern and symmetry. Deeply incised hair treatment contrasts with the smooth, polished facial surfaces, a feature frequently encountered in southern Sierra Leonean carving traditions. These regional characteristics connect the figure to local aesthetic conventions while expressing broader Mendé ideals of female beauty, dignity, and social accomplishment. Literature: Philip Ravenhill (ed.), Senufo: Art and Identity in West Africa. Los Angeles: UCLA Fowler Museum of Cultural History, 1993. Robert Goldwater, Senufo Sculpture from West Africa. New York: Museum of Primitive Art, 1964. Susan Mullin Vogel, Art of the Senufo. New York: Center for African Art, 1986. Eberhard Fischer and Hans Himmelheber, Die Kunst der Senufo. Zürich: Museum Rietberg, 1984. Ezio Bassani and William Fagg, Africa: The Art of a Continent. Munich: Prestel, 1995. Jacques Kerchache, Jean-Louis Paudrat and Lucien Stephan, L’Art Africain. Paris: Citadelles & Mazenod, 1988. William Fagg, Tribes and Forms in African Art. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1965. Hans Himmelheber, Negerkunst und Negerkünstler. Braunschweig: Klinkhardt & Biermann, 1960. Susan Mullin Vogel, “Senufo Art and the Poro Cult.” African Arts 11, no. 2 (1978). Anita J. Glaze, “Art and Death among the Senufo.” African Arts 14, no. 3 (1981). Hans Himmelheber, “The Art of the Senufo.” African Arts 2, no. 1 (1968). Robert Goldwater, “Senufo Sculpture.” African Arts 1, no. 3 (1968). This description was created with the help of our local informant Bakari Bouaflé and additionally with the aid of AI. Despite careful individual verification of the information provided by our informant, errors or inaccuracies may occur in the description due to the use of artificial intelligence. MAZ12848