BOLI POWER OBJECT Mali several organic and inorganic materials Size: 46 x 32 x 66cm ***PLEASE NOTE THIS LOT IS NOT ON VIEW AT ST. STEPHEN'S GREEN. PLEASE CONTACT US FOR FURTHER INFORMATION*** NOTE Such objects play a crucial role in Bamana spiritual life. Their amorphous forms and unusual materials make boli culture distinct. The bulbous and amorphous shapes are unique within the repertoire of Bamana art. This particular boli has four short legs on which it rests, along with a single hump rising from the top. The zoomorphic boli represents a bushcow or hippopotamus. The primary function of a boli is to accumulate and control the naturally occurring life force called nyama for the community's spiritual benefit. The composition of the encrusted patina varies, but all ingredients possess significant spiritual energy. The encrustation may include the blood of chickens or goats, chewed and expectorated kola nuts, alcoholic beverages, honey, metal, animal bones, vegetable matter, and sometimes millet. Occasionally, this added matter becomes so extensive that it obscures the original wooden form, taking on a shape of its own.