__The Accumulation of Power
_Boli (Alter), The Bamana people of Mali, 19th – 20th Century. Wood, earth, sacrificial materials. Length 20 1/2". The Michael C. Rockefeller Memorial Collection, Bequest of Nelson A. Rockefeller, 1979 (1979.206.175). Metropolitan Museum of Art.
This is a highly abstracted figure that was created using various sacrificial materials that, over time, have been applied and layered over to increase and multiply its purpose and function. These figures closely resemble an animal of some sort but it is unclear if that is the intended form. There are many rounded and bulbous shapes that protrude from the surface of this figure. The texture is typically very rough and coarse but varies depending on what materials are layered on it. The sacrificial materials, or libations, are accumulated on the surface of the boli to build spiritual power for the purpose of benefiting the community as a whole. The spiritual power that each layer accumulates is the life force known as nyama and it must be harnessed and controlled through the ritual use of the boli. Only experienced male members of religious associations in Mali are skilled enough to handle such a powerful spiritual force as nyama. These members hold an advanced knowledge of natural and spiritual worlds that spans decades.
This is a highly abstracted figure that was created using various sacrificial materials that, over time, have been applied and layered over to increase and multiply its purpose and function. These figures closely resemble an animal of some sort but it is unclear if that is the intended form. There are many rounded and bulbous shapes that protrude from the surface of this figure. The texture is typically very rough and coarse but varies depending on what materials are layered on it. The sacrificial materials, or libations, are accumulated on the surface of the boli to build spiritual power for the purpose of benefiting the community as a whole. The spiritual power that each layer accumulates is the life force known as nyama and it must be harnessed and controlled through the ritual use of the boli. Only experienced male members of religious associations in Mali are skilled enough to handle such a powerful spiritual force as nyama. These members hold an advanced knowledge of natural and spiritual worlds that spans decades.