This item is a Bamana female figure (nyeleni or jonyeleni) from Mali, a type of collectible African sculpture. These figures represent ideal female beauty and were used by the Bamana people during initiation ceremonies for young men. Carved from wood, they often feature stylized geometric forms, large conical breasts, and decorative scarification patterns on the torso. Made of wood, these figures typically have a patina of age and desiccation cracks from historical use.

Jonyeleni figure, Jo society
wood, patina, metal
early 20th century
Bamana people
Mali

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