Boli
Boli: Altar, Bamana, Mali, before 1931. Earth, organic materials. h. 18", ARTstor Slide Gallery, Data from: University of California, San Diego
The Bamana peoples of Mali made the Boli. It is made of mud and spiritually charged materials; each of the layers contains mysterious spiritual materials. Some of these materials consist of animal bones, vegetable matter, and honey and then are covered with layers of clay and mud.[i] The Boli is a three dimensional object that has anamorphic qualities to it such as the head and implied legs. In the Boli there is a hole that runs from the “mouth” to the “anus”, the purpose of these holes is to pour libations through it. It becomes activated spiritually when the libations are poured through it. Some of the things that may have been poured through it are blood, semen, or spit. The main purpose of the Boli is to control the naturally occurring life forced called nyama for the spiritual benefit of the community.
[i] Bamana Boli, November 22, http://www.randafricanart.com/Bamana_Boli_PB.html
[i] Bamana Boli, November 22, http://www.randafricanart.com/Bamana_Boli_PB.html