This paper presents the results of a study on the whitish blooms found typically on wooden ritual and functional objects produced by the Bamama (Bambara) and the Dogon, in the country of Mali in West Africa. The study included a survey of the ethnographic literature, which records the widespread practice of applying vegetable seed fats and oils to wooden objects. Nine fat and oil samples were obtained, including shea butter extracted by the author. These served as references for infrared spectroscopic and gas chromatographic examination of over 30 samples from sculpture surfaces. Results suggest that a white bloom on Mali wood sculptures may be the result of an ethnographic fat application. The mechanism of fatty bloom formation is described, using cocoa butter as a model.