ClassificationsAfrican Art

Figure, Pomdo or Nomoli

Place CreatedSierra Leone, Africa

CultureBullom-Sherbro

Dateca. 16th Century

MediumSteatite

Credit LineEx coll. William S. Arnett

Dimensions3 15/16 x 2 3/8 x 2 15/16 in. (10 x 6 x 7.5 cm)

Object number1999.003.005

Label TextSmall stone figures found in Mende fields and used today as protectors and oracles are among the earliest art objects from Sierra Leone. The figures are attributed to the Sapi and Bullom cultures because they bear a striking stylistic resemblance to the well known "Afro-Portuguese" ivories, dated to the mid-16th century.

Mende invasions into the coastal areas once occupied by the Sapi in the mid-sixteenth century, forced the Sapi to leave their stone figures behind. It has been suggested that these sculptures represent royal figures and were once placed upon ancestral altars. Today these figures, known as nomoli by the Mende and pomdo by the Kissi, are placed in the rice fields to ensure good crops. They are also consulted on important occasions. This figure exhibits the features of the coastal style due to its closed mouth, immense ears, and hands clutching beard/chin, seated position, and muscular legs.
Exhibition HistoryDivine Intervention: African Art and Religion, Michael C. Carlos Museum, February 5 - December 4, 2011

ProvenanceEx coll. William Arnett (1939-2020), Atlanta, Georgia.

Status

Not on view

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