Pounders

Pounders  known as Pombibele, are carved male and female figures commissioned by the poro association in Senufo communities of Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, and Burkina Faso. During funerals and commemorative ceremonies for distinguished association members. Sculptural pairs honored the deceased as they entered the society of ancestral spirits and recalled their lineage extending back to their earliest ancestors. On these occasions, poro members displayed pombibele figures in architectural settings or tapped them on the ground to the rhythm of drums in a procession.

Other large statue pounders by the Senufo may include the debel, used by the poro members during planting season.

Source: www.metmuseum.org