The Senufo are a people of the Ivory Coast, but their culture long precedes the name of the country. The Senufo known for their peaceful culture, impressive sculpture, carving, and agricultural skills.
Like many other indigenous populations of that region, the Senufo believe in spirits that exist in different elements of nature. In other words, that all plants, animals, water, etc., are alive with spiritual energy.
These spirits are believed to be all-powerful and may choose to help or harm human plight-- depending on how nature is treated. For example, the Senufo believe that if their farmers are responsible with the land and never take more than is necessary, the spirits will be kind and grant them a good harvest. But if the farmers abuse the land and its resources- the spirits may cause famine or bring poverty to the village. Therefore, the Senufo highly value environmental stewardship.
To appease the nature spirits even further, they often re-create the forms of these spirits in works of art- such as in cloth paintings, metalwork, or wood sculpture. One such work now resides in the OJAC permanent collection.
Porpianong (Hornbill) c. 1940. SENUFO. Wood. 1991.006
This is a “Porpianong” (or Hornbill in English). Hornbills are the most important Nature Spirit to the Senofu- as they are reflected in their creation story. In which, the hornbill flies over all the land, dropping and spreading the seeds of life. Of all the Nature Spirits, its image is the most sacred and referenced in their artwork.
The OJAC’s Porpianong was carved over 80 years ago by Senufo youths at what is called the Poro. The Poro is a really unique, thousand-years-old tradition! It’s a special school that young men and sometimes women attend when they are transitioning from childhood to adulthood. Basically, a cultural camp for youth held deep in the woods–located far from the student's villages as to avoid any distraction. This seven-year camp is where adolescents learn the social, religious, and daily traditions of their culture. They are introduced to oral histories, religious beliefs, the skills of artisanal crafts, ancestral farming techniques, as well as social skills and lessons in community life. After 7 years the students of the Poro return to their families and they are then considered prepared for all aspects of adulthood.
This hornbill statue was carved from soft forest wood. From a conservation perspective, caring for wood is more complicated than caring for an artifact made of clay or metal. As it’s an organic material that houses and feeds insects and worms, sculptures created from wood can be comparatively short-lived. In fact, Poro wooden sculptures should be able to be traced back as far as the ancient Egyptians, but sadly there aren’t any that age in existence- simply because wood decays!
We are caring for this one diligently, and our hope is to preserve it for many generations of visitors.
Kirsten Hahn
Education Programs Coordinator