Sikasso Regional Museum

Ethnographic museum in the south of Mali, dedicated to exhibiting objects of the Senufo culture
Sikasso Regional Museum
Photo by Dom Celerier
Type: Cultural Museum
Country:
Mali
Establishment: 2011

The Sikasso Regional Museum (French: Musée Regional de Sikasso) is an ethnographic museum in the south of Mali, dedicated to exhibiting objects of the Senufo culture.

History

The construction of the museum started in 2008, within the Médine section of Sikasso in order to collect information and cultural objects from the third region of Mali.[1] In December 2010, the museum was opened to the public as part of the Sikasso cultural biennial in addition to Nakana Falley's monument, following funding from the European Union.[2]

The Regional Museum together with the Senufo Culture Research Center in Sikasso, received contributions from the Spanish missionary Emilio Escudero Yangüela, who had traveled to different villages in the region to collect historical and cultural information, a research process that took approximately forty years in cooperation with the Diocese of Sikasso.[3]

Collections

The museum next to the Cultural Research Center contains about 1200 objects, which among them include statues made of different elements such as teracotta, wood and bronze, beds used in funerals and ceremonies, masks used for traditional Malian religions and celebrations, in addition to musical instruments.[4]

In 2018, the museum and research center launched an exhibition about Cicara, a musical instrument used by Senufo women related to agriculture, in addition to exhibits about the traditional dance of Koredouga, also called Kotedjuga or Komodenu, practiced in celebrations and festivities among communities near the border between Mali and Guinea, additionally the museum also presents monographs or documents coming from several Senofu settlements, among them include Dioumaténé, Katon, Lofiné and Ouatialy.[5]

References

  1. Communique du Conseil des ministres. (2008-10-27). [Bamanet / L’Essor]. (in French)

  2. Kone, A. (2010-12-07). Biennale artistique et culturelle 2010. Afribone / Le Républicain. (in French)

  3. Gbikpi, P. (2022). Un si long voyage: 2. Mère Afrique. Editions L’Harmattan. (Page 56) ISBN: 978-2-14-025597-7 (in French)

  4. Musée de Sikasso: L’antre de la culture Senoufo. (2021-03-09). Malijet / L’Essor. (in French)

  5. Musée sénoufo de Sikasso: Voyage au cœur d’une riche culture (2019-12-07). Bamada. (in French)

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