Bambara Wooden Guandousou Sculpture of a Mother and Child

This outstanding figure of a seated female figure breastfeeding her child is one of the most moving themes depicting the daily existence of the people of the Bambara tribe. Traditional of seated figures in Senufo carvings, is the footstool which seems to be a continuation of the long body, its front feet becoming one with the legs of the figure. The hairstyle of this mother, twisted in intricate individual braids is a signature of the Bambara carving style. Her elongated breasts are also a recurrent motif in the art of Bambara.
As we look at this caring mother created out of a rich and strong material, we come to realize how revered a mother was, to be immortalized in such a manner, an emotion that may have been lost to some of us throughout the many years gone by. – (PF.3731)