The artist workshops in the Bougouni region produced a singular corpus of sculptures, very different from the rest of the Bamana artistic tradition. This powerful figure, originating from the Jo society, is remarkable in its imposing presence and naturalistic fluidity of forms. It is a special example within the corpus, exhibiting rare details such as elaborate scarifications on the chest and a beautifully ornamented bag around the waist.

“The Jo and Gwan figure are larger and more massive than other Bamana figures. Often standing three to four feet tall, they have thick cylindrical torsos, broad shoulders, and smoothly curved ovoid heads. Their arms and legs connect to shoulders and hips in a fluid manner, unlike the abrupt angular transitions seen in many other types of Bamana sculpture […] The Jo and Gwan sculptures represent both females and males, whereas other types of Bamana sculpture are almost exclusively female. They depict people in a variety of postures and gestures and wearing or carrying a diverse array of objects. Some of the figures, both female and male, wear or carry objects such as […] protective charms in the form of belts, packets hung around the neck or under the arm, and pouches slung across the chest. […] Some [of the female figures] gesture towards their breasts with their hands, which the Bamana interpret as a sign of respect.” (Colleyn, J.P., Bamana. The art of existence in Mali, Zurich, 2001, p. 134).

This marvelous figure from the Carol and Jerry Kenney collection previously belonged to Ernst Anspach, one of the preeminent early post-war collectors of African art. This work, along with the other lots from the Kenney collection presented in this sale, tells the story of a longstanding friendship between the Kenneys and Anspach. In the early 1970s, Carol Kenney was hired by the New York Federal Reserve to join the economics department under its Chief Economist Ernst Anspach. Around this time, the latter gifted the couple a gold weight, which propelled a decades-long collecting journey under the wing of Anspach. Carol and Jerry Kenney, who paired their passion for African art with a love of American painting and whose collection included works by Thomas Moran, Milton Avery, John James Audubon, and others, gradually grew their collection and knowledge of African art. Upon his death in 2002, Anspach passed his collection on to the Kenneys. The selection presented here, with some pieces previously from the Anspach collection and others acquired directly by the Kenneys, presents a beautiful variety of styles, the work of an array of inspiring master artists.

For similar examples, see the Bamana Female Figure at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, gift of Nelson A. Rockefeller in 1965 (inv. no. 1978.412.338), or the Gwandusu Female Figure, ex. Collection Pierrette and Pierre Souleil, lot 66 sold at Christie’s in 2020.