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Senufo Cultivation Staff, Côte d'Ivoire image 1
Senufo Cultivation Staff, Côte d'Ivoire image 2
Lot 74

Senufo Cultivation Staff, Côte d'Ivoire

13 November 2018, 11:00 EST
New York

US$5,000 - US$7,000

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Senufo Cultivation Staff, Côte d'Ivoire

tefalipitya
height 53 1/2in (136cm)

Provenance
Charles M. Miller, III, St. James, New York

The sculpted figure representing pitya--an unmarried young woman at the peak of her beauty--standing with arched feet planted firmly on top of the staff, the back fully arched and abdomen protruding forward, the diminutive face with serene expression below the incised coiffure with raised frontal and rear elements; rich, dark brown patina with a metal point attached to the bottom.

"Through the use of sculpture, orchestra, song, and dance, hoeing contests transform grinding labor into ritual. From dawn to dusk throughout the cultivating season, teams of young men swing their iron hoes to the rhythms of drums and xylophones, as proud staff bearers follow behind the competing champions.[. . .]

[. . .] the figure promises a beautiful fiancée, increase for the kinship unit, abundant harvest, and many children." (Vogel, Susan, For Spirits and Kings - African Art from the Paul and Ruth Tishman Collection, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1981, p. 48)

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