Important Boli Figure

Mali, Bambara Wood, organic and inorganic materials 40 x 49 cm Provenance: Jacques Kerchache Collection, Paris Anne Kerchache, Paris Anna and Antonio Casanovas, Galleria Arte y Ritual, Madrid Private Collection, Brussels Published: Martin Bethenod, Jacques Kerchache, Portraits croisés, Gallimard, Paris, 2003, p.22 This exceptionally large Boli used to belong to the collection of Jacques Kerchache. In pictures from his apartment in Paris, it can be easily recognized on a shelf amongst one of the bookcases. Boliw played a crucial role in Bamana rituals. They are predominantly made of a wooden core structure, sometimes including bones, around which clay and diverse materials are applied, resulting in bulbous, quite anamorphic figures, bearing a vague resemblance to a four-legged animal that can not be exactly identified. The continuous offering of sacrificial fluids and both organic and inorganic materials obscure the original shape of the boli. With each added layer of sacrificial materials, the spiritual power of the boli increases, and the rich layering and cracks of this boli testify to its age and extensive use.