Nomoli figurines are among the earliest works of art from Sierra Leone. The Nomoli figurines and similar stone sculptures are the only known remains of an empire that existed hundreds of years ago in what is Sierra Leone and Liberia today. Their heads are oblong shaped and most Nomoli figurines are made out of soapstone. Nomoli figurines are often associated with the Mende people as they are often buried on Mende land. They are used as oracles and for protection. The Mende and Kissi people of Sierra Leone put these small statues near their homes and in fields of crops for protection and increased vegetation, as they believe the Nomoli figurines will give them good health, good harvest, and meals to eat. Sometimes Nomoli are called Pomtan