The History and Derivation of a Lobi Area Sculptural Style The Holly Keko Style 106 Par Daniela Bognolo By Daniela Bognolo Lobi art is well known for the rich diversity of its styles. The unique qualities and the shared elements of these both refl ect the reality of a heterogeneous community, composed of many different cultural groups (Pwa, Dja, Dagara Lobr and Wiile, Birifor, Teese, Gan, and the Lobi proper —about 450,000 people in all, largely centered in the contemporary state of Burkina Faso) with a common history that has evolved over time. A social and religious consolidation of these groups took place about halfway through the nineteenth century with the introduction of the joro, a collective institution of initiation rituals that provided individuals of both genders status as members of the larger “Lobi” identity, regardless of their cultural origin (see map at right). An early concrete manifestation of this new initiatory social order was the creation of new cult objects designed for it, and the formal characteristics of these illustrate the composite reality of this new “sacred fraternity.” Drawing upon each culturally distinct group’s ancient archetypal art styles, numerous composite styles developed in the production of fi gurative sculptures known as thilkotina, effi gies devoted to the cult of lineage ancestors. The creation and preservation of these sculptures guided the aesthetics of the art through which “Lobi” society would FIG. 1: The Lobi region, Burkina Faso, 1984. Photo: Daniela Bognolo. FEATURE
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