Female Caryatid Drum (Pinge)

This drum representing a woman of rank balancing a load on her head celebrates women’s prominence in Senufo society, where they act as family founders and spiritual mediators and guardians. It is embellished with designs that allude to the knowledge and power of diviners. This particular drum may have been played by a woman during commemorative funerals for members of the influential all-female associations known as Sandogo and Tyekpa.