The Malinke are descendants of the mighty Mali Empire that ruled much of Sub-Saharan West Africa during the first half of the second millennium. The empire reached its peak in the thirteenth century under the rule of King Sundiata, also known as the “Lion King,” who unified the various tribes of the kingdom and began to incorporate the surrounding people into the empire. Today, the Malinke people are spread out over several nations across West Africa; however, they are united by their common heritage and language. This gorgeous sculpture of a young woman represents the sensitive artistry of the Malinke people. Carved out of wood, certain features of the work, specifically the squared-off shoulders and the “T” shaped nose, reveal the Malinke’s artistic debt to their neighbors, the Bambara. She holds her hands over her swollen belly with a protruding navel that suggest she might be pregnant. Certainly her voluptuous breast would be in keeping with this assertion. Intricately incised lines covering her torso and back represent bodily scarification, a tradition prevalent in many Western African tribes. These scars were not only marks of beauty that enhances one’s physical attraction, but they were also considered signs of rank that revealed one’s social standing. Judging from the amount of scars that cover her body, we can safely assume that this work represents a women in the upper echelons of the Malinke hierarchy. This gorgeous women, on the cusp of birthing, is the idealized representation of feminine beauty.