How Stones Became Ancestors in Kissi Tradition

Introduction

In the forested borderlands of Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia, the Kissi people preserve one of West Africa’s most unusual ancestor traditions. Small carved stone figures, known among the Kissi as pomdo (plural pomtan), are often discovered unexpectedly in fields, riverbanks, old settlement sites or places disturbed by farming. Rather than treating these objects as archaeological curiosities, many Kissi communities traditionally understood them as signs that an ancestor wished to re-establish contact with the living. Through divination, a newly discovered stone could be identified with a particular deceased person and installed in a family shrine, where it became part of ongoing relations between descendants and the dead.[metmuseum.org]metmuseum.orgThe Metropolitan Museum of Art Nomoli and Pomdo Stone Figures of Upper GuineaThe Metropolitan Museum of ArtNomoli and Pomdo Stone Figures of Upper GuineaOctober 2, 2025 — 2 Oct 2025 — Through divination, the Kissi…Published: October 2, 2025

The tradition sits at the intersection of folklore, ancestor veneration and mystery. The stones themselves are real artefacts, many apparently much older than the communities that now care for them. Yet their original makers remain uncertain, allowing generations of stories and ritual interpretations to grow around them. For readers interested in Guinea’s folklore, the fascination of the pomtan lies precisely in this meeting of material evidence and living belief.

Found Figures and Family Shrines

Unlike statues carved for a known purpose, pomtan usually enter tradition through discovery. Farmers, miners and villagers have long reported finding carved stone figures buried in the earth or exposed by erosion. Similar discoveries have been documented throughout the Upper Guinea forest region, especially in areas associated with Kissi communities.[smarthistory.org]smarthistory.orgStone Head (mahe yafei), Kisi peoplesOther sculptures associated with the Kisi people, known as pomdo, are more varied in for…

Kissi interpretations of these finds differ from a purely archaeological explanation. Ethnographic accounts record that the appearance of a pomdo was often taken as evidence that an ancestor was communicating with descendants. Diviners would determine whose spirit was connected with the object, after which it could be placed within a family shrine and treated as an ancestral presence.[Sothebys.com]sothebys.com#24) Kissi Power Figure (piomdo), LiberiaAccording to the Kissi the discovery of a pomdo (pl. pomtan) shows that an ancestor is communic…

Several features of the tradition stand out:

• The stone was not automatically considered sacred when found.
• Its identity was established through ritual consultation.
• Once identified, it became linked to a particular lineage or household.
• The object served as a point of contact between living relatives and deceased ancestors.[metmuseum.org]metmuseum.orgThe Metropolitan Museum of Art Nomoli and Pomdo Stone Figures of Upper GuineaThe Metropolitan Museum of ArtNomoli and Pomdo Stone Figures of Upper GuineaOctober 2, 2025 — 2 Oct 2025 — Through divination, the Kissi…Published: October 2, 2025

Some accounts describe the stones being wrapped in cloth, stored in bowls, or kept alongside medicines, ritual substances and protective objects. Their value came less from artistic appearance than from the relationship established between the family and the ancestor represented by the figure.[Sothebys.com]sothebys.com#24) Kissi Power Figure (piomdo), LiberiaAccording to the Kissi the discovery of a pomdo (pl. pomtan) shows that an ancestor is communic…

This helps explain why the figures occupy an important place in regional folklore. The story is not simply about an ancient object; it is about an object becoming a person again through ritual recognition.

Divination, Ancestors and Oath-Taking

The most frequently recorded use of pomtan concerns communication with ancestors. Divination played a central role because the stones were believed to carry information that was not immediately visible. A discovered figure required interpretation before it could take its place within family ritual life.[The Metropolitan Museum of Art]metmuseum.orgThe Metropolitan Museum of Art Nomoli and Pomdo Stone Figures of Upper GuineaThe Metropolitan Museum of ArtNomoli and Pomdo Stone Figures of Upper GuineaOctober 2, 2025 — 2 Oct 2025 — Through divination, the Kissi…Published: October 2, 2025

Once incorporated into a shrine, the figure could act as an intermediary between generations. Offerings, requests for guidance and ritual consultations might take place in its presence. This reflects a broader Kissi emphasis on maintaining relationships with deceased relatives, a theme found throughout the region’s traditional religious practices.[Sierra Leone Heritage]sierraleoneheritage.orgSierra Leone HeritageKissi peopleAncestor worship or praying to deceased relatives is common among the Kissi. The Kissi people produced m…

Historical accounts also associate some pomtan with oath-taking ceremonies. Certain figures were regarded as powerful witnesses capable of enforcing promises or exposing falsehoods. Museum and ethnographic sources note that stone figures, and sometimes metal rings discovered with them, could be invoked when important agreements were made. The belief was not that the stone itself possessed legal authority, but that ancestors connected with the object would punish dishonesty or broken commitments.[metmuseum.org]metmuseum.orgThe Metropolitan Museum of Art Nomoli and Pomdo Stone Figures of Upper GuineaThe Metropolitan Museum of ArtNomoli and Pomdo Stone Figures of Upper GuineaOctober 2, 2025 — 2 Oct 2025 — Through divination, the Kissi…Published: October 2, 2025

This role as a ritual witness helps explain why some stones acquired reputations extending beyond a single household. An ancestor shrine was not merely a memorial; it could function as a moral centre where obligations between people, families and generations were publicly affirmed.

Why Original Meanings Remain Uncertain

One of the most intriguing aspects of the pomtan tradition is that scholars still debate who originally carved the figures and what purpose they first served. Archaeologists and art historians generally agree that many of the stone sculptures are old, but precise dates remain difficult to establish. Some may predate the arrival of present-day populations in particular areas, while others could belong to several different carving traditions.[researchgate.net]researchgate.netThe Stone Sculptures of the Upper Guinea CoastThe stone figures sculpted there, usually in soft steatite, or soap-stone, are…

Researchers have identified overlaps between the Kissi pomtan and related stone figures known elsewhere in Sierra Leone as nomoli. Styles vary considerably, and the geographical distribution suggests a complex history rather than a single artistic tradition. Some scholars have argued that the figures may represent ancestors, chiefs or spiritually important individuals. Others emphasise that there is not enough evidence to determine their original function with certainty.[collegeart.org]collegeart.orgThe use of the discovered stone figures by the KissiCollege Art AssociationMemorial Art of Fifteenth-Century Sierra Leoneby FJ Lamp · 1983 · Cited by 31 — The Kissi use the term pomdo (pl…

Several points remain unresolved:

For folklore studies, this uncertainty is significant. The modern Kissi interpretation is not simply a misunderstanding of archaeology; it is part of the historical life of the objects. Even if the figures were originally made for different reasons, generations of ritual practice transformed them into ancestral beings within local belief systems.

What the Pomtan Reveal About Kissi Folklore

The enduring importance of pomtan stones comes from the way they connect land, memory and ancestry. A figure emerges from the soil, is recognised through divination, receives a personal identity and enters the social world of a living family. Few traditions illustrate more clearly how physical objects can acquire narrative and spiritual meaning through communal interpretation.[The Metropolitan Museum of Art]metmuseum.orgThe Metropolitan Museum of Art Nomoli and Pomdo Stone Figures of Upper GuineaThe Metropolitan Museum of ArtNomoli and Pomdo Stone Figures of Upper GuineaOctober 2, 2025 — 2 Oct 2025 — Through divination, the Kissi…Published: October 2, 2025

In Guinea’s forest region, stories attached to sacred places and ancestral objects often emphasise continuity between past and present. The pomtan tradition embodies that idea. The stones are tangible artefacts, yet their significance depends on relationships, stories and ritual acts. Whether viewed as ancient sculptures, ancestral manifestations or both at once, they remain among the most distinctive examples of how folklore can transform an unexpected discovery into a living connection with the dead.[metmuseum.org]metmuseum.orgThe Metropolitan Museum of Art Nomoli and Pomdo Stone Figures of Upper GuineaThe Metropolitan Museum of ArtNomoli and Pomdo Stone Figures of Upper GuineaOctober 2, 2025 — 2 Oct 2025 — Through divination, the Kissi…Published: October 2, 2025

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Endnotes

1. Source: sothebys.com
Link:https://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2014/myron-kunin-collection-african-art-n09225/lot.24.html

2. Source: smarthistory.org
Link:https://smarthistory.org/stone-head-mahe-yafei-qisi-people/

3. Source: researchgate.net
Link:https://www.researchgate.net/publication/273937194_The_Stone_Sculptures_of_the_Upper_Guinea_Coast

4. Source: Wikipedia
Title: Art in Sierra Leone
Link:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_in_Sierra_Leone

5. Source: Wikipedia
Title: Kissi people
Link:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kissi_people

6. Source: Wikipedia
Link:https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nomoli

7. Source: metmuseum.org
Title: The Metropolitan Museum of Art Nomoli and Pomdo Stone Figures of Upper Guinea
Link:https://www.metmuseum.org/essays/nomoli-pomdo-stone-figures

Published: October 2, 2025

8. Source: sierraleoneheritage.org
Link:https://www.sierraleoneheritage.org/glossary/pomdo

9. Source: sierraleoneheritage.org
Link:https://sierraleoneheritage.org/v12.6/glossary/word.php?id=kisi

10. Source: collegeart.org
Title: The use of the discovered stone figures by the Kissi
Link:https://www.collegeart.org/pdf/artbulletin/Art%20Bulletin%20Vol%2065%20No%202%20Lamp.pdf

Additional References

11. Source: facebook.com
Link:https://www.facebook.com/groups/3244777048911738/posts/5535573739832046/

12. Source: christies.com
Link:https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-6150798

13. Source: facebook.com
Link:https://www.facebook.com/groups/275114380263865/posts/487657812342853/

14. Source: facebook.com
Title: isolation art exhibit a rare kissi piomdo shrine sculpturethis finely crafted wo
Link:https://www.facebook.com/tribalgatheringsLive/posts/isolation-art-exhibit-a-rare-kissi-piomdo-shrine-sculpturethis-finely-crafted-wo/2835821719840218/

15. Source: alamy.com
Link:https://www.alamy.com/figure-possibly-early-1400s-the-most-varied-group-of-soapstone-figures-and-heads-has-been-found-in-the-homelands-of-the-kissi-calling-them-pomda-quotimages-of-the-deadquot-the-kissi-placed-them-in-ancestral-shrines-offering-them-the-last-seeds-at-sowing-times-and-the-first-fruits-of-the-harvest-however-the-sculptures-are-believed-to-have-been-made-centuries-ago-by-the-ancestors-of-the-kissi-the-so-called-sapi-people-image330089055.html

16. Source: artoftheancestors.com
Title: maluku gallery renovation
Link:https://www.artoftheancestors.com/blog/maluku-gallery-renovation

17. Source: academia.edu
Title: Ancestors at the gate
Link:https://www.academia.edu/106665347/Ancestors_at_the_gate_Form_function_and_symbolism_of_the_imagines_moiorum_A_comparative_analysis_of_Etruscan_and_Roman_funerary_art

18. Source: pinterest.com
Title: Kissi & Pomdo
Link:https://www.pinterest.com/jandeclerck0106/kissi-pomdo/

19. Source: zyama.com
Title: kissi (kisi)
Link:https://www.zyama.com/kissi/

20. Source: diaspora.illinois.edu
Title: news1208 4
Link:https://www.diaspora.illinois.edu/news1208/news1208-4.pdf