Bamana Power Figure (Boli) pottery beaded necklaces

beaded necklaces

Magnificent strand of early 19th-century Venetian “White Heart” trade beads

Attractive encrusted patina and rich earthen deposits across the surface

The multi-tiered composition may symbolize cosmological or social hierarchies

Age-related heavy wear and abrasion

Bamana Power Figure (Boli) pottery beaded necklacesBamana people, early to mid 20th century, Mali, West Africa An exceptional and rare Bamana boli power figure, constructed from a tortoise shell heavily over modelled with layers of potent organic and mineral materialsmud, eggs, cloth, goat horn, honey, beer, and human and animal excrement. Over decades of ritual use, its dense, crusted surface has accumulated further sacrificial offerings including blood, millet porridge, and alcohol, each application