SOLD: Female Baule Figure, Ivory Coast, Africa

front view of Female Baule Figure from the Ivory Coast, Africa. Made of wood, glass, brass, shell beads, and natural fiber
front side view of Female Baule Figure from the Ivory Coast, Africa. Made of wood, glass, brass, shell beads, and natural fiber
front side view of Female Baule Figure from the Ivory Coast, Africa. Made of wood, glass, brass, shell beads, and natural fiber
back side view of Female Baule Figure from the Ivory Coast, Africa. Made of wood, glass, brass, shell beads, and natural fiber
back of the Female Baule Figure from the Ivory Coast, Africa. Made of wood, glass, brass, shell beads, and natural fiber
detail shot of hair on Female Baule Figure from the Ivory Coast, Africa. Made of wood, glass, brass, shell beads, and natural fiber
detail shot of torso on Female Baule Figure from the Ivory Coast, Africa. Made of wood, glass, brass, shell beads, and natural fiber
close up shot of the face of the Female Baule Figure from the Ivory Coast, Africa. Made of wood, glass, brass, shell beads, and natural fiber
front view of Female Baule Figure from the Ivory Coast, Africa. Made of wood, glass, brass, shell beads, and natural fiber
front side view of Female Baule Figure from the Ivory Coast, Africa. Made of wood, glass, brass, shell beads, and natural fiber
front side view of Female Baule Figure from the Ivory Coast, Africa. Made of wood, glass, brass, shell beads, and natural fiber
back side view of Female Baule Figure from the Ivory Coast, Africa. Made of wood, glass, brass, shell beads, and natural fiber
back of the Female Baule Figure from the Ivory Coast, Africa. Made of wood, glass, brass, shell beads, and natural fiber
detail shot of hair on Female Baule Figure from the Ivory Coast, Africa. Made of wood, glass, brass, shell beads, and natural fiber
detail shot of torso on Female Baule Figure from the Ivory Coast, Africa. Made of wood, glass, brass, shell beads, and natural fiber
close up shot of the face of the Female Baule Figure from the Ivory Coast, Africa. Made of wood, glass, brass, shell beads, and natural fiber

SOLD: Female Baule Figure, Ivory Coast, Africa

$0.00

  • First Half 20th C.

  • Wood, Glass, Brass and Shell Beads, Natural Fiber

  • 14.5 x 3.5 x 3.5 in. / 37 x 9 x 9 cm

  • Provenance: An old French collection

A stylistically pleasing power figure. The soft brown patina and fine carving impart a delicacy that isn't usually associated with figures of spiritual spouses (blolo bian). With classic attributes; elongated neck supporting the oversized head with a detailed, precise coiffure and scarified face, hands resting on the abdomen in a gesture of peace, slightly bent legs with bulging calves, standing on overly large feet.

The result is a beautiful female Baule figure.

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Baule Figure "Blolo Bian," Ivory Coast
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Baule Figure "Blolo Bian," Ivory Coast
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  • 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).

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SOLD: Flywhisk Handle with Three Birds and Two Faces
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SOLD: Flywhisk Handle with Three Birds and Two Faces
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  • Baule culture, Ivory Coast, Africa

  • Early 20th century

  • Wood, iron, accumulation

  • 8.5 x 4.25 in. / 21.5 x 11 cm
    Height on custom display stand: 9.75 in. / 25 cm

This flywhisk was originally attached to a horsehair bundle and covered in gold leaf. The iron staples used to attach the horsehair are still attached, and the fine geometric incisions served to hold the gold leaf in place. Like most flywhisks, the gold leaf and horsehair have long-since been removed, but the surviving wood sculpture shows the artistry of the Baule sculptor.

A Baule flywhisk from the Detroit Institute of Arts with similar iconography can be seen here.

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