Baule figure, Ivory Coast

10.5” tall

ex private US collection

This figure has been a favorite of mine in my collection for quite a while now. I went on a kick for a while finding figures from various cultures with their hands in their pockets. It’s a somewhat common pose among Baule figures, but this one really stands out to me. It is beautifully carved with a great expression on his face, and I love the shorts with the belt. One thing that might get overlooked is his shoes which are sandals or slippers that have dots on them, almost like they are leopard skin. This figure could have been a spirit husband figure which is referred to as a blolo bian.

The Baule believe that every married adult, whether man or woman, has a ‘spirit spouse’. The man has a ‘spirit wife’, called ‘blolo bla’, while the woman has a ‘spirit husband’, called ‘blolo bian’. These invisible spirits live in the afterlife, in the spirit world, or in the ‘bush’. The carvers represent them as small sculptures, which the commissioner preserves in their bedrooms. It is possible to communicate with these ‘spirit spouses’ (in the shape of such figures), ask them for advice, discuss problems, etc.

$450 plus shipping

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