MOSSI Female Ancestor Figure

A standing wooden female figure (1st half 20th C., 67 cm) from the Mossi of Burkina Faso — rigid verticality, slight facial concavity, sagittal crest coiffure, geometric chest scarifications, and a dry earthy brown patina with termite erosion at the base.

1. The Junior of the Royal Pair

At 67 cm, this figure is the slightly smaller counterpart to the 78 cm matriarch.

• Paired Function: Royal Nakomse shrines often held multiple figures simultaneously, representing successive generations of royal wives or the broader matriline.
• Same Stylistic Vocabulary: The shared sagittal crest, chest scarification grid, and rigid frontality confirm that both figures came from the same workshop or regional atelier, likely carved as a coherent set.

2. The Annual Tenga Sacrifice

The figure's ritual role centered on Mossi dynastic ceremony.

• Altar Display: During the Tenga and other royal sacrifices, the figures were brought out to receive offerings on behalf of the ancestors they represented.
• Collective Authority: Each figure added another voice to the validation of the current chief — the more figures standing on the altar, the deeper the reach of legitimacy backward through time.

3. Base Erosion and Shrine Storage

The wear on this piece is consistent with authentic shrine residence.

• Termite Work at the Feet: Natural insect degradation at the lower extremities records decades of storage in a mud-brick shrine where termites could reach the ground contact zone.
• Upper-Body Preservation: The rest of the figure preserved its form under the same conditions — confirming that the wear is selective, historical, and not the product of artificial distressing.

Summary

This junior Mossi figure completes the royal pair with matching stylistic vocabulary and authentic shrine wear. Together with its larger counterpart, it extends the dynastic narrative across another generation of Nakomse royal women.