A rare Gwandusu or Jo-Nyéli seated statuette with scarified body and face, representing the feminine ideal and the importance of fertility (here the child could be missing in the case of maternity) or also "the first woman". The seated Bambara statues were long misinterpreted as representations of queens until the 1960s, and in fact essentially represent a feminine ideal that is "given to see" within the framework of the Jo and Gwan societies. Bambara, Mali Wood, visible cracks, significant erosion from age, beautiful patina from use. H. 54,5 cm Provenance : - René Rasmussen Collection, Paris. - Collection Nadine Vinot-Postry, Paris.