Senufo Carved African Rhythm Pounder

Figural rhythm pounder, Senufo Tribe, Ivory Coast, 61.5'' h. x 5'' x 6''. This is a wonderful African Rhythm Pounder from the Senufo Tribal People of the Ivory Coast, in excellent condition for its age. This is a crucial prop in both commemorative ancestral rites and adolescent initiations into adult society; it was also a benevolent symbol of fertility and a conduit to the departed female. Typically, female figures are represented. A Poro society may possess one or more single figures that were initially commissioned following a member’s visionary encounter with spirits in dreams or while alone in the fields. These pounders were traditionally used in funeral ceremonies for members of the Poro society. In some areas, they are actually pounded; in others, they are gathered at the center of the ceremonial grounds.