This Senufo mother figure from the Korhogo region in northern Côte d'Ivoire ranks among the significant sculptures of Senufo art; its function was closely linked to the religious beliefs of the Poro society and to the cults of ancestors and fertility. Depictions of a mother and child embody not only motherhood but also the continuity of the community, the transmission of spiritual knowledge, and the renewal of life. As cult figures, they served as intermediaries between the living, the ancestors, and the protective forces of the spiritual realm. Seated on a simple stool, the woman holds a child on her lap; her calm posture conveys a sense of dignity and nurturing care. Her exceptionally intricate hairstyle comprises four elements: bangs swept to a point over the forehead, two side braids, and a ponytail directed toward the back - with the side braids and the rear braid featuring further subdivision. This meticulous styling highlights the high value placed on elaborate hairstyles within Senufo aesthetics. The face is characterized by a calm, forward-facing gaze. Ritual scarification marks on the face, breasts, and shoulders articulate the surface, signifying cultural identity, social maturity, and spiritual affiliation. Armbands on the upper arms and wrists underscore the figure's ceremonial significance. The child, too, features a carefully rendered face and finely modeled hands; appearing not merely as an attribute, the child is an integral component of the composition. The lustrous patina, signs of wear, and minor cracks bear witness to a long history of ritual use, lending the sculpture its authentic historical character. Selected Bibliography Glaze, Anita J.: Art and Death in a Senufo Village. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1981. Boone, Sylvia Ardyn (ed.): West African Art: The Senufo. Munich: Prestel, 1986. Fischer, Eberhard / Homberger, Lorenz: Die Kunst der Elfenbeinküste. Zurich 1979. Himmelheber, Hans: Negerkunst und Negerkünstler. Braunschweig 1960. Cole, Herbert M.: Icons: Ideals and Power in the Art of Africa. Washington, D.C. 1989. Informant: Bakari MAZ17004