Basonyi Protective Serpent
Baga, Guinea
Wood and Pigment
51.5" Tall
The Bansonyi is involved in protecting male initiates at circumcision; it is used during droughts as well as appearing at funerals in groups as a male and female pair. It is thought that the Bansonyi itself symbolizes a
reconciliation between the aquatic world and the jungle, between east and west or the two halves of the village.
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