_The boli (plural boliw) are from the Bamana people of Mali
and are specifically used by the male Komo society, which is an association of
males, often priests and blacksmiths, who focus on the spiritual powers held
within Bamana shrines. The Boli
are recognized as one of the most powerful objects of the Bamana, when
activated they are then filled with nyama (power). These figures are made of a wooden base structure surrounded
by clay and mud, which are then covered in libations, including semen, blood, and
fingernails, as well as other sacrificial materials. The accumulation of the libations is what brings the power
to the boli. The older the boli
is, the more accumulation it has received, which means the more power it
contains. “A hollow channel
running from “mouth” to “anus” may have allowed libations to be poured through
it.”[1]
This also increases the power of
the object. The boli are placed in a secret shrine away from the community’s
view. The leader of the Komo society is the only person able to activate them because of his individual connections with the god. The boli are usually built in an
ambiguous animal-like form. “Many
boliw are intended to represent hippopotami, animals noted for strength and
aggression.”[2] Along with the Hippopotami, Boli often
depict the form of a buffalo, for the most part they are tame creatures, but
become dangerous when they sense danger. “The buffalo is linked with human power because, chiefs, like
the buffalo, are liminal, ambiguous creatures, capable of extremes of behavior
and forever betwixt and between crosscutting social forces.”[3]
While it is still unknown as to what materials exactly make up the boli figure,
sacrificial material from animals may also be included to build the spiritual
power.
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[1] Monica Visona, Robin Poynor, and Herbert Cole, A HISTORY OF ART IN AFRICA Second Edition, (Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education Inc, 2008), 119.
[2] Charles Davis, The Animal Motif in Bamana Art, (New Orleans, Louisiana: The Davis Gallery, 1981), 20-37.
[3] Hope Werness, The Continuum Encyclopedia of Animal Symbolism in Art, (New York: The Continuum International Publishing Group Inc, 2003), 55-56.
Image source: Bamana, Headdress: Male Antelope (Ci Wara), 19th-early 20th century, 35 11/16 x 15 3/4 x 3 3/8in. (90.7 x 40 x 8.5cm). Metropolitan Museum of Art - Images for Academic Publishing, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Michael C. Rockefeller Memorial Collection, Gift of Nelson A. Rockefeller, 1964 (1978.412.435) (Image © The Metropolitan Museum of Art)
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[1] Monica Visona, Robin Poynor, and Herbert Cole, A HISTORY OF ART IN AFRICA Second Edition, (Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education Inc, 2008), 119.
[2] Charles Davis, The Animal Motif in Bamana Art, (New Orleans, Louisiana: The Davis Gallery, 1981), 20-37.
[3] Hope Werness, The Continuum Encyclopedia of Animal Symbolism in Art, (New York: The Continuum International Publishing Group Inc, 2003), 55-56.
Image source: Bamana, Headdress: Male Antelope (Ci Wara), 19th-early 20th century, 35 11/16 x 15 3/4 x 3 3/8in. (90.7 x 40 x 8.5cm). Metropolitan Museum of Art - Images for Academic Publishing, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Michael C. Rockefeller Memorial Collection, Gift of Nelson A. Rockefeller, 1964 (1978.412.435) (Image © The Metropolitan Museum of Art)