Senufo Tugubele Figure

ITEM #:
2719
ETHNICITY:
Senufo
ORIGIN:
Cote D’Ivoire
MEDIUM:
Wood.
DIMENSIONS:
13.255″ Tall  (33.7 cm)
CONDITION:
Very Good.

PROVENANCE:
Jean Pierre Hallet Estate Collection – California, USA.

CATALOGUE NOTE:

Senufo Tugubele Figure
Small wooden antropomorphic statuettes were used by Senufo diviners, called Sando’o, to communicate with helpful spirits living in the wilderness. The name tugubele applies to both the spirits and the mediating statuettes. Artists creating tugubele followed closely the instructions given to them by the diviner who would have been told certain details about the figure’s required appearance, gender, posture, scarification marks etc. directly by the spirit. Diviners were contacted by the spirits often while they were sleeping in the form of a dream.