• Baule People, Ivory Coast, Africa

• Wood

• First Half 20th Century

• 14 x 3.5 x 4 in. / 35 x 9 x 10 cm

Like this piece, Baule statues are usually carved standing on a base with legs slightly bent and their hands resting on their abdomen in a gesture of peace. Their elongated necks support a face with raised scarification marks and bulging eyes. The coiffure is very detailed and is divided into plaits. Baule statues were carved for two purposes: the first was to incarnate a spirit of the bush, Asie Usu; the second was to represent a spouse from the other world, Blolo Bla or Blolo Bian. The Baule believe every person has such a spouse, who is responsible for practical and spiritual problems that arise in life. Carved under the direction of the village diviner, such statues are kept in a person’s room and rubbed on the owner’s skin, giving them a shiny patina (Bacquart, The Tribal Arts of Africa, 1998).

Domestic shipping and insurance included. International shipping quoted separately.

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