A male guardian figure of the Senufo

A male guardian figure of the Senufo, standing on a hemispherical base, with disproportionately enlarged and sharply bent lower legs in relation to the thighs. Between the legs, a prominent genital organ is displayed. The torso is columnar, with a slightly forward-leaning abdomen. The arms emerge from rounded shoulders and are carved in open work; the stylized hands rest at the level of the belly. A cylindrical neck supports an oval, horned head. Without doubt, the figure—with its horns and its pronounced emphasis on sexuality—displays a zoomorphic expression that, within the context of Western art, evokes associations with representations of Pan or Satyr figures, thus articulating the proximity between man and animal; heavy, dense wood, blackened, partly shiny patina.

In Senufo art, prevalent in northern Côte d’Ivoire, southern Mali, and parts of Burkina Faso, horned masks and sculptures carry significant symbolic weight. They are deeply embedded in spiritual, initiatory, and cosmological frameworks and are never merely decorative. Horns—most often resembling those of antelopes, buffalos, or rams—are key elements that express power, transcendence, and the channeling of invisible forces.

Horned masks, such as the kponungo or "firespitter" masks, are composite forms that typically integrate attributes of several animals: curved antelope horns, sharp teeth, tusks, and bird beaks. These elements combine into an intentionally terrifying visage used in ritual dance performances designed to protect the community from malevolent forces. The masks are apotropaic—meant to ward off danger—and are part of a broader ensemble of sacred regalia governed by the Poro society, the dominant male initiation and regulatory institution among the Senufo. The Poro controls both the visual codes and the spiritual functions of such objects.

In sculptural contexts, horned figures—especially female ancestral representations—frequently appear with stylized horns rising from their heads. These horns signify not only power and sacred knowledge but also a connection to the bush spirits (nyama), which are sources of both fertility and spiritual force. In some cases, the horned crown marks the figure as a diviner or healer, often female, whose ability to access other realms is visually expressed through this motif.

The horn thus functions as a symbol of transformation and mediation. It links the human and spirit worlds, serves as a protective and empowering force, and visually encodes social status, ritual function, and esoteric knowledge.

Literature
Glaze, Anita J.: Art and Death in a Senufo Village. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1981
Förster, Till: Die Mächte der Dinge: Geschichte und Funktion afrikanischer Kunst am Beispiel der Senufo. Köln: Rautenstrauch-Joest-Museum, 1997
Holas, Bohumil: Sculptures Senufo. Paris: Musée de l'Homme, 196.

Height: 87 cm
Weight: 4,7 kg