Kulango Talisman – Hanyedio – Korabohula – Pinio – Ivory Coast

Bronze. Height: 9.2 cm (3.62 in). Weight: 67.3 g (2.37 oz).

These small bronze statuettes have ritual and commemorative functions. They were used in religious ceremonies, worn or kept as protective talismans, or created to honor ancestors or nature spirits.

Among the Kulango, such amulets or talismanic figures are traditionally referred to as hanyedio, korabohula, or pinio. They represent minor spirits associated with the natural world, particularly forests and waterways, and embody spiritual forces believed to influence daily life.

The Kulango inhabit a region of northern Côte d’Ivoire, bordering Burkina Faso and Ghana, and belong to the Gur-speaking cultural sphere. Their traditional religious system is animistic, based on the belief that animals, plants, landscapes, and objects possess a spiritual essence. In northern Côte d’Ivoire, Kulango society was historically organized under kings and councils of elders, with community life structured around the agricultural calendar and long‑standing ritual practices.

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