Twins Senufo Statue

A paired Senufo composition of commanding vertical structure, each figure constructed through disciplined segmented volumes held within a single formal system.

Description

Each figure is constructed through a disciplined sequence of segmented volumes, articulated along a clear vertical axis: elongated head, planar torso, constricted waist, and stool-supported base.

The heads project forward with measured emphasis, framed by laterally extended ear forms that establish a horizontal counterpoint to the vertical structure. The torsos remain flat and contained, marked by controlled incision, while the abdomen expands into a rounded, central mass before tightening again toward the seat.

Arms descend in parallel, uninterrupted lines, reinforcing the linear continuity of the composition. The stools extend the figures downward, completing the vertical system without interruption.

The pair maintains close proportional correspondence, with minor variations in surface and carving density. Patina is stable and coherent across both figures, with wear concentrated along projecting elements.

Context

Senufo sculpture is defined by structural clarity and the articulation of form through discrete, ordered volumes. Figures are not modelled but constructed — each element held in relation to the whole.

Paired examples of this scale, retaining both formal consistency and a unified surface, are increasingly scarce. The strength of the present work lies in its control: repetition without rigidity, variation without loss of system.

Provenance

From the Felice Maffei Collection

Acquired in Ivory Coast, 1972

Available on private enquiry.