Bamana, Mali
Shrine Figure (gwandusu), n.d.
Wood
35 1/2″ x 9″ x 6 1/2″
UWM Art Collection, 2008.003
Gift of Mark and Mary Jo Wentzel
Gwandusu-figures are considered not only beautiful but are archetypes of noble character and moral action. The figures are used by the Gwan Society, an organiztion concerned with fertility and childbearing, and represent the nurturing and protective functions of the ideal Bamana woman.