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Why did Mende farmers place nomoli figures near their rice fields?

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raffia-fiber cloth — African art Raffia-fiber cloth, made by the Kuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, mid-20th century; in the Honolulu Academy of Arts.

Mende farmers place nomoli figures near their rice fields to protect the crop. These soapstone carvings are often uncovered by the Mende while they are preparing their land for farming. Once discovered, the figures are set up in shelters within the fields to serve this protective function.1